This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 858092

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Geothermal and Magmatic Systems – Network School on Krafla, (North Iceland)

15 September 2022
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Discussion in front of students’ posters
Discussion in front of students’ posters
Groups of students present and discuss their exercise results
Groups of students present and discuss their exercise results. Chiara Montagna checks, on the left
Visit at the Landsvirkjun/Teistareykir
Visit at the Landsvirkjun/Teistareykir geothermal power station, NW Iceland
Students solving exercises
Students solving exercises on geothermal flow circulation dynamics
The class.
The class during frontal lessons
Crossing the Krafla caldera
Crossing the Krafla caldera
Exercise sessions
Exercise sessions. Groups of students solve exercises on geothermal flow circulation dynamics. Magnus Gudmundsson (left) and Knutur Arnasson (right) stand in the center
American and Eurasian plates
Pàll Einarsson (left) and Freysteinn Sigmundsson (center) giving explanations across the boundary between the American and Eurasian plates (Freysteinn placed on both)

The first network school of the IMPROVE Consortium was held in Laugar, Reykjadalur, in North Iceland, about 30 km west of Krafla on June 11-16, 2022.  The school was a joint venture between IMPROVE and the Nordic Volcanological Center at the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland. It was attended by 29 young researchers, including all 14 IMPROVE ESRs that had already been appointed, together with 15 other participants from outside of the consortium. The participants are residents of 10 different countries in Europe (Iceland 8, Italy 7, Germany 3, UK 3, Ireland 2, Finland 2, France 1, Spain 1, Denmark 1 and Switzerland 1), and have nationalities spanning from China to US. The majority of participants are presently doing a PhD at their universities, while a few postdoctoral fellows took part as well.

The school focused on the following content:

  • Science and technology: geothermal areas, fluid physics and chemistry, fluid flow circulation.
  • Transferable/soft skills: meeting presentation, public speaking.
  • Non-academic contribution: geothermal exploration, industry-oriented science developments, environmental impact and public perception (LV).

Emphasis was put on addressing the main aspects of young igneous geothermal systems and the links between magma and hydrothermal circulation in volcanic settings, and the methods of geophysics, geochemistry and geological mapping used to study such systems, including various aspects of geothermal exploration. Emphasis was placed on Krafla. Environmental and societal aspects of geothermal utilization were also addressed. Future perspectives were explored with strong input from experts in the geothermal industry, from the two largest companies in geothermal utilization in Iceland: Landsvirkun (LV) and Reykjavík Energy. The school was planned by UI. Members of the organizing committee were Magnús T. Gudmundsson, Freysteinn Sigmundsson, Halldór Geirsson and Rikke Pedersen (NordVulk).  Additional input came from INGV and other members of the consortium.  A five-day program was developed, with about 40% of the time dedicated to lectures, 35% to fieldtrips, and 25% to exercises, active discussion sessions and poster presentations by participants.

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