Gradual caldera collapse at Bárdarbunga volcano, Iceland, regulated by lateral magma outflow

Dr Eoghan Holohan was co author on a recent research article (as titled above) which was published in Science.

As noted by the Science editor: "Volcanic eruptions occur frequently, but only rarely are they large enough to cause the top of the mountain to collapse and form a caldera. Gudmundsson et al. used a variety of geophysical tools to monitor the caldera formation that accompanied the 2014 Bárdarbunga volcanic eruption in Iceland. The volcanic edifice became unstable as magma from beneath Bárdarbunga spilled out into the nearby Holuhraun lava field. The timing of the gradual collapse revealed that it is the eruption that drives caldera formation and not the other way around."

The full research article can be accessed via the (opens in a new window)Science website.