Fire and ice

This resource presents some real seismic data recorded before a volcanic eruption and allows students to locate some of the resulting earthquakes by use of graphs and maps.

Curriculum links include waves, longitudinal and transverse waves, S waves, P waves, disaster relief, earthquake detection

Luck and lava

Monitoring Bárðarbunga and Holuhraun

Earthquakes accompanying the Bardarbunga - Holuhraun dyke intrusion

Scientists are continually monitoring volcanos on Iceland to try and determine when and how they are likely to erupt next. In 2014 scientists from the University of Cambridge volcano seismology group were able use data from a network of seismometers to track the underground movement of molten magma for 46km before a spectacular fissure eruption.