VOLCANO/ICE INTERACTION ON EARTH AND MARS




Conference: August 13-15, 2000 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Field excursion: August 16-18, 2000

Hosted by: University of Iceland and Icelandic Institute of Natural History

Sponsors: University of Iceland; Icelandic Institute of Natural History; Public Road Administration, Iceland; IAVCEI Commission on Volcanogenic Sediments (CVS); IAVCEI Commission on Explosive Eruptions (CEV); British Antarctic Survey; United States Geological Survey; NASA-Ames Research Center/SETI Institute.

 
The conference on Volcano/ice interaction on Earth and Mars will be the first of its kind. The aim is to bring  together geologists, geophysicists, glaciologists and planetary scientists studying various
aspects of the interaction of volcanoes and ice sheets/ice caps. Recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland and detailed studies of subglacially erupted deposits in Antarctica and elsewhere, have provided important new data that should lead to significant advance in the understanding of ice/volcano interaction. Moreover, considerable work is being carried out on the interaction of pyroclastic flows and snow/ice cover on the slopes of stratovolcanoes. The conference seeks to provide a forum where detailed terrestrial studies will be presented and comparative Martian analogues and processes discussed.

Since this meeting was first announced, by E-mail in December, over 70 people from 10 countries have expressed interest in participating. These include both terrestrial and planetary scientists, geologists, geophysicists, volcanologists, glaciologists and astrophysicists. 
 

 
THE CONFERENCE CONVENERS NOW INVITE YOU TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT 
FOR THE VOLCANO:ICE MEETING

 
 
Some of the issues that the meeting will address are:
(1) Eruptive, hydrological, and glaciological dynamics of terrestrial subglacial eruptions

(2) Geomorphological and lithofacies analysis and construction of sub-ice volcanoes and related sedimentary plains

(3) Volcano-ice interaction at stratovolcanoes

(4) Hydrothermal evolution, mineralogical and biological formation of palagonite

(5) Subglacial volcanism and climate history

(6) Hazard implications of sub-ice volcanism

(7) Remote sensing of terrestrial subglacial features

(8) Sub-ice volcanism, hyaloclastites, and hydrothermal evolution on Mars

(9) Hydrological and geomorphological history of Mars and paleoclimatic implications.

 
ABSTRACTS

Over 50 abstracts have been submitted and the submission deadline has now passed.
 

PUBLICATION

Publication of proceedings is planned and a publishing house has been approached on the matter. This would be the first publication ever devoted to the subject. Details will be announced later.
 

FIELD EXCURSION

A special 2 1/2 day field trip will be organized. It will focus on the remains of subglacial volcanism in South Iceland, including basaltic pillow lavas and rhyolitic lava lobes, hyaloclastites, flood deposits and landforms created in jokulhlaups caused by subglacial eruptions. Special emphasis will be on thorough site inspections at a few well chosen localities, under the guidance of experts. 
This field excursion should provide an unique opportunity for researchers 
to discuss the conference topics in the field.
 

OVERFLIGHT

If weather permits, a 2 hour post-conference overflight is also planned. It would give participants an opportunity for oustanding aerial views of tuya and tindar (ridge) landscapes, the island of Surtsey, Myrdalsjokull ice cap,
Skeidararsandur outwash plain and the sites of recent subglacial eruptions at Vatnajokull: Grimsvotn and Gjalp.

 
 
FURTHER INFORMATION
For information regarding the format and scientific objectives of the meeting, registration forms, preparation and submission of abstracts, accommodation, travel, etc, visit our Website -

http://wwwflag.wr.usgs.gov/USGSFlag/Land/IcelandMeeting/

or contact any of the conveners -

Mary Chapman:
U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
(Tel: +520- 556-7182; fax: +520-556-7014; mchapman@usgs.gov)

Magnus T. Gudmundsson:
Science Institute, University of Iceland, Hofsvallagata 53, IS-107 Reykjavik, Iceland 
(Tel: +354-525-5867; fax: +354-552-1347; e-mail: mtg@hi.is)

Virginia Gullick:
Mail Stop 239-20, Space Sciences Division, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA (Tel: 1-650-604-0781; fax: 1-650-604-1088; e-mail: vgulick@mail.arc.nasa.gov)

Sveinn Jakobsson:
Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Hlemmur 3, IS-105 Reykjavik, Iceland 
(Tel. +354-562-9822; fax: +354-562-0815; e-mail: sjak@ni.is)

Ian Skilling:
Dept of Geology, University of Southern Missisippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5044, USA 
(e-mail: Ian.Skilling@usm.edu)

John Smellie:
British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK 
(Tel: +44-1223-221400, Fax: +44-1223-362616; e-mail: jlsm@pcmail.nerc-bas.ac.uk)