Introduction
Climate change is sharpening the focus on glacier behaviour and glacier hazards; understanding how glaciers and ice sheets behave has never been so important.The Icelandic Glaciers project has, for the last 10 years, been investigating some of the key processes and landforms involved in glacial hazard impact and glacial landscape evolution.
Background and context
This ongoing research is funded by the Earthwatch Institute and led by Dr. Andrew Russell (University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
Work is collaborative and carried out by a team that has principally involved researchers from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Keele University, Leeds University, the State University of New York and Prof. Fiona Tweed and Tim Harris from Staffordshire University’s Institute for Environment Sustainability and Regeneration (IESR).
Summary of project research
Research is currently split into several related parts. The first examines the impacts of events at Vatnajökull ice cap southern Iceland - glacier surging (fast glacier advance) and jökulhlaups (glacier outburst floods).The largest jökulhlaup to occur here in recent years occurred following a volcanic eruption beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap in 1996. Over three cubic kilometres of water burst forth from the ice cap during the flood causing widespread damage to roads, bridges and power cables.
The second focus has been research on Mýrdalsjökull ice cap west of Vatnajökull. This element of the project examines the role that high magnitude Katlahlaups (catastrophic floods from Katla subglacial volcano) have had on glacier sediment entrainment and outwash plain characteristics.
This is important, as an eruption of Katla is overdue and scientists and civil authorities need to understand what could happen should a big flood be generated from the next eruption.In 2004, we introduced a third theme to the project, with a focus on Bering Glacier, Alaska, examining the similarities and differences between processes and landforms at Bering and an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull called Skeiðarárjökull.
The subglacial volcanic eruption beneath Vatnajökull in 1996 resulted in a large glacier outburst flood that was routed to the south. Had the eruption been slightly further north, water could have resulted in a big flood on the northern margin of Vatnajökull.
It is possible that further eruptions may cause floods to drain into the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. Evidence of past giant floods has been identified within the Jökulsá á Fjöllum system.Research is being carried out to map these past floods from field and aerial photo sources; to examine the characteristics of flood deposits and to develop a model to identify the main controls on the magnitude and frequency of floods in the Jökulsá á Fjöllum.
Fieldwork on this research project is undertaken by the principal investigators, a staff team and paying volunteers, deployed by the Earthwatch Institute.Fieldwork is usually carried out in teams of a week’s duration. Our work basically aims to decode earth surface processes to try to build up a picture of past environmental change and to predict likely future events.
Like many such projects, work is sometimes messy, we get dirty, wet, tired, cold, (and sometimes hot), facilities can be primitive and we work hard. There is ample compensation as the project is continually generating new findings.
Project impact
The Icelandic Glaciers research project continues to contribute to knowledge of rates landscape development and is aiding our understanding of the evolution of Iceland's landscape and landscape development in other similar locations.Findings from this research are also helping scientists understand the landforms and deposits of formerly glaciated areas and are helping the Icelandic civil authorities plan for the future.
For details about this and other Earthwatch projects, please see: http://www.earthwatch.org/