Geology News
Iceland Volcano Current Events

You have probably heard of the Richter Scale for measuring earthquakes, the Saffir-Simpson Scale for hurricanes and the Fujita Scale for tornadoes. The Volcanic Explosivity Index is used to compare the size of explosive volcanic eruptions.

Dave Petley shares some aerial photographs of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge taken from a helicopter over Iceland.

Dave Petley has a well illustrated blog post about the role that joints play in controlling rockfalls. Photos are at Iceland’s Gullfoss waterfall.

A collection of some of the most interesting photos of volcanic eruptions that we have seen from USGS, NASA and NOAA.

A National Science Foundation article titled: “How to Thrive in Battery Acid and Among Toxic Metals”, features an extremophile red alga that can survive in the hot, toxic waters of an Icelandic hot spring.

A proposed geothermal project in Iceland will produce electricity that will be transmitted to Britain via a undersea cable. The electricity is expected to be cost competitive.

A proposal to transport electricity generated at a geothermal plant from Iceland to the UK is being considered. Several projects in Europe might also transport electricity generated from renewable sources.

Two years ago, Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano in Iceland erupted, forcing the closure of airports and cancellation of flights throughout much of western Europe. This year Katla Caldera is showing signs of a potential eruption.

A computer data center needs enormous amounts of electricity and heavy-duty air conditioning. Iceland has a great climate for obtaining free cool air and lots of geothermal electricity.