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Reykjanes peninsula Iceland exploration, a multi-disciplinary project led by students

Eva Wilson1, Raphaël Rougemont1, Virgile Schwartz1, James Grillon1, Rémi Colin1, Arnaud Baumgart1, Théo Favre1, Eline Sabatini1, Mano Franzetti1, Mendamar Othenin-Girard1, Tom Von Kaenel1, Florian Sflacin1, Robin Menu1, Yohann Châtelain1, Marit van Zalinge2, Simon Bufféral3, Nicolas Oestreicher1, 4, 5, Tom Sheldrake1, Charline Lormand1, Luca Caricchi1, Joël Ruch1

  • Affiliations:  1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Pepperdine University, Hauteville Campus, Switzerland; 3Laboratoire de Géologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, France; 4WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland; 5Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, Davos, Switzerland 

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Monday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 73

  • Programme No: 1.2.18

  • Theme 1 > Session 2

Abstract

The Iceland Didactical Project 2024 is an educational initiative led by second-year Bachelor students, now third-year students, in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Geneva, supported by their professors, research group members and the SciencEscape, a non-profit science outreach organization. This project focused on developing a data-driven approach to teaching by collecting petrological, geophysical, and surface deformation data on the 2021-2024 volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes Peninsula (Iceland). In particular, wWe collected data during a multidisciplinary field campaign, from July 21st to August 11th, 2024. In the following autumn semester, we analysed lava flow samples using optical microscopy, X-ray Fluorescence and Inductively Coupled Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometry to obtain whole rock, major, and trace element data. Additionally, we analysed minerals and matrix glasses using an Electron Probe Micro Analyzer to perform thermobarometry and chemometry. Finally, we collected diffusion profiles in olivine to retrieve information on pre-eruptive residence time for the different eruptions.  We used these data in combination with structural and petrological data from the field to provide insights on the evolution of the plumbing system feeding the eruptions in the Reykjanes Peninsula, to establish eventual links between magma erupted from different localities, and to formulate hypotheses on the factors controlling temporal variations of magma chemistry observed in the samples.