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Volcano-permafrost interaction in Iceland and associated hazards

Alina V. Shevchenko1 , Thomas R. Walter1, Magnus T. Gudmundsson2, Gro B.M. Pedersen3, Benjamin De Jarnatt1, Julia Nikutta4, Maria Hurley1, Joaquín M.C. Belart5, Egill Á. Gudnason6, Þorsteinn Sæmundsson2, Jón K. Helgason3, Mahdi Motagh1

  • Affiliations: 1German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), Potsdam, Germany; 2Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland; 3Icelandic Meteorological Office, Reykjavík, Iceland; 4Institute for Geophysics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; 5National Land Survey of Iceland, Akranes, Iceland; 6Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR), Kópavogur, Iceland

  • Presentation type: Talk

  • Presentation time: Monday 10:30 - 10:45, Room R290

  • Programme No: 3.3.1

  • Theme 3 > Session 3

Abstract

Active volcanoes are the most dynamic landforms that evolve through the construction and destruction of their edifices, which can strongly affect the environment. Degrading permafrost can also be dynamic and lead to mass-wasting. Volcanoes and permafrost have been studied using different approaches. However, volcano-permafrost interaction hasn't received the deserved attention and remains poorly understood, though it can lead to hazardous events associated with flank instability, explosive activity, and collapsing ground. Discontinuous permafrost can be found in Iceland above 800 m a.s.l, and sporadic permafrost can be observed at lower elevations. Permafrost at active volcanoes can be presented in three main forms -- frozen ground, buried ice, and rock glaciers. Here, we present our results from the two study sites -- Askja and Hekla volcanoes -- where permafrost features can be observed in abundance. Analyzing multitemporal (1945-2024) and multisensor (visible, infrared, and SAR UAV) data, we address the question of permafrost variations under the influence of volcanic activity and the potential effects on the environment. We suggest that volcano-permafrost interaction at Askja can induce slope instability and lead to hazardous landslides, as happened in 2014, while at Hekla, the main hazard comes from lahars that can emerge from rapid rock glacier melt in the course of an eruption; such situation occurred in 1947. Besides, both sites are subject to intense thermokarst processes due to the thawing of ice layers buried by volcanic deposits. Our results from the two case studies can facilitate a general understanding of the volcano-permafrost interaction and associated hazards.