Over the past three years, Iceland has served as a living laboratory for geologists from all over the Europe. The volcanic eruptions in Bárðarbunga and Holuhraun and the glacial outburst flood in Skaftá have been closely monitored and analysed by scientists to try and predict and prepare for natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruption.
The 2010 eruption in Eyjafjallajökull prompted a number of European countries to instigate the FutureVolc project, a 26-partner project funded by the European Commission that deals with long-term monitoring in geologically active regions of Europe prone to natural hazards.
The project, led by the National University and the IMO, began in 2012 and will come to an end next year.
Freysteinn Sigmundsson, geophysicist and FutureVolc’s project leader, told Fréttablaðið newspaper that new technology developed through the project has already proven its worth by making it possible for scientists to detect the recent outburst flood in Skaftá three days in advance.
Scientists were able to issue a three-day advanced warning of the flood, „based on measurement and data-processing techniques“ developed through FutureVolc.
Over the past three years, Iceland has served as a living laboratory for geologists from all over the Europe. The volcanic eruptions in Bárðarbunga and Holuhraun and the glacial outburst flood in Skaftá have been closely monitored and analysed by scientists to try and predict and prepare for natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruption.
The 2010 eruption in Eyjafjallajökull prompted a number of European countries to instigate the FutureVolc project, a 26-partner project funded by the European Commission that deals with long-term monitoring in geologically active regions of Europe prone to natural hazards.
The project, led by the National University and the IMO, began in 2012 and will come to an end next year.
Freysteinn Sigmundsson, geophysicist and FutureVolc’s project leader, told Fréttablaðið newspaper that new technology developed through the project has already proven its worth by making it possible for scientists to detect the recent outburst flood in Skaftá three days in advance.
Scientists were able to issue a three-day advanced warning of the flood, „based on measurement and data-processing techniques“ developed through FutureVolc.
