In 2021, the Fagradalsfjall volcano on the southern peninsula of Iceland, went off after 781 years of being inactive. During the six months, volcanic ashes and eruptions occurred, and local tourists scavenged closer to the volcano so that they could take lots of pictures.
While tourists werebusy taking pictures of the volcano’s crust, scientists were asking the question: “Why did Fagradalsfjall suddenly erupt?” To answer that question, scientists decided to take a step further to see what was below the volcano.
Where there is no light, flowing rock’s that are miles underneath the volcano works in ways that experts cannot describe. To discover more information, scientists sent out a few helicopters to scoop up some lava which was samples given to labs, and the results were shocking; the lava in the Fagradalsfjall volcano were crystals.
Experts unveiled that in the volcano’s crystal samples, there is a wide range of materials that come from the amalgamate layer, between the Earth’s crust and core. According to Nature Communications, “This kind of variation was unexpected, and it painted a more vivid picture of what contributes to volcanic eruptions.”
The University of Oregon, Uppsala University, University of Iceland, and Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) research group found something else interesting. While studying volcanic ashes, they discovered that isotope ratios with oxygen, which make up 50% of all volcanic rocks, are particularly sensitive tracers of the mantle and crustal material properties. Because of this, oxygen isotopes can assist scientists in figuring out whether magma is derived from the mantle or if it met with crustal materials on the way to the surface.
The Washington Post reports that “They found that not only were the chemicals incredibly
varied over time, suggesting that many different parts of the mantle had combined in the eruption, but also that the oxygen isotopes were virtually identical across these samples.” This outcome was exceptional and had never been seen at an active eruption before.
To see the Fagradalsfjall volcano appear active is fascinating. Scientists discover new things about it, and Dr. Ed Mashall, a geochemist at the University of Iceland, said, “It’s an absolutely amazing eruption for our field, and it’s one of those things that will be studied for a long time.”
While tourists werebusy taking pictures of the volcano’s crust, scientists were asking the question: “Why did Fagradalsfjall suddenly erupt?” To answer that question, scientists decided to take a step further to see what was below the volcano.
Where there is no light, flowing rock’s that are miles underneath the volcano works in ways that experts cannot describe. To discover more information, scientists sent out a few helicopters to scoop up some lava which was samples given to labs, and the results were shocking; the lava in the Fagradalsfjall volcano were crystals.
Experts unveiled that in the volcano’s crystal samples, there is a wide range of materials that come from the amalgamate layer, between the Earth’s crust and core. According to Nature Communications, “This kind of variation was unexpected, and it painted a more vivid picture of what contributes to volcanic eruptions.”
The University of Oregon, Uppsala University, University of Iceland, and Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) research group found something else interesting. While studying volcanic ashes, they discovered that isotope ratios with oxygen, which make up 50% of all volcanic rocks, are particularly sensitive tracers of the mantle and crustal material properties. Because of this, oxygen isotopes can assist scientists in figuring out whether magma is derived from the mantle or if it met with crustal materials on the way to the surface.
The Washington Post reports that “They found that not only were the chemicals incredibly
varied over time, suggesting that many different parts of the mantle had combined in the eruption, but also that the oxygen isotopes were virtually identical across these samples.” This outcome was exceptional and had never been seen at an active eruption before.
To see the Fagradalsfjall volcano appear active is fascinating. Scientists discover new things about it, and Dr. Ed Mashall, a geochemist at the University of Iceland, said, “It’s an absolutely amazing eruption for our field, and it’s one of those things that will be studied for a long time.”
