Collaborative Research: Addressing key gaps in the eruptive history, magmatic storage, and public preparedness at Askja volcano, Iceland

It is important to have a complete history of the type and number of eruptions at a volcano to prepare for potential future volcanic eruptions. Askja volcano is a popular tourist destination in Iceland that has produced small lava flows and large explosive eruptions. No one has studied Askja’s pre-historic explosive eruptions in detail. The likelihood and timing of future explosive eruptions at Askja is not well known. This study will use field work to confirm the order of eruptions at Askja. Rock and mineral chemistry will be used to look for connections between different rock types and the magmas from which they crystallized. Analyses will also help date older eruptive materials and identify how magma is stored beneath the volcano before eruption. A complete history of Askja’s eruptions will reveal patterns to identify future eruption scenarios. Askja sits next to two other recently active volcanoes covered by glacial ice. Results from Askja will lead to a better understanding of harder to reach volcanoes in Iceland and volcanoes in the US. This study will increase awareness of the hazards of active volcanoes and the risk to neighboring populations. Askja volcano in Iceland has produced multiple explosive rhyolitic eruptions and numerous basaltic fissure eruptions over the last 70 ka and has been experiencing uplift since 2021. The recent ca. 65 cm uplift (2021-ongoing) in Askja caldera makes it imperative to understand the past eruptive activity and magma storage conditions to prepare for a potential future eruption. The unstudied, high-silica eruption deposits and gabbro xenoliths provide the opportunity to investigate not only the eruptive frequency, but also the patterns and location of magma storage under Askja. This study aims to address questions: 1) at what depth do silicic and mafic magmas accumulate under Askja, and how common is magma recharge? 2) What are the most common eruption scenarios at Askja based on the last 70,000 years? and 3) How can Vatnajokull National Park better communicate with visitors at Askja about hazards? These questions will be addressed through field work; whole rock characterization; plagioclase, clinopyroxene and zircon mineral analyses; 40Ar/39Ar and U-Th geochronology, and visitor surveys in partnership with the Vatnajokull National Park. The breadth of approaches in this study aims to target key gaps from multiple directions to increase understanding of the Askja volcanic system, its hazards, and the populations at risk. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2535577 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Tenley Banik | Institution: Board of Trustees of Illinois State University, NORMAL, IL | Award Amount: $144,649 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2535577 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2535577.html