Understanding carbon dioxide emissions from Iceland: carbon budgets and their use for forecasting changes in volcanic behaviour

Carbon dioxide exsolves from magmas deep within the Earth. Changes in carbon dioxide emissions monitored at the surface may be indicative of changes deep beneath volcanic systems; and could provide clues to changes in volcanic activity. Sub-aerial rifts associated with hotspots like Iceland are also significant, but poorly defined, contributors to global fluxes of deep Earth carbon degassing. This project will study background carbon dioxide emissions from the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, site of recent fissure eruptions and ongoing dyking episodes. The student will measure soil degassing fluxes at key locations and will relate their measurements to structural and hydrothermal features (e.g., faults, fumaroles) and ongoing changes in seismicity and deformation. Find more information here.