Jökull - 01.01.2013, Page 144

Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson
THE 2011 SPRING EXPEDITION
The spring expedition in 2011 took place on 29 May
– 3 June. The VEI 4 eruption of Grímsvötn on 21–28
May upset the plans laid out for the expedition and
during the eruption there was uncertainty whether it
would take place at all. However, on the fourth erup-
tion day it was clear that the eruption was declining
fast so it was decided to get ready for departure as
soon as the eruption stopped. This plan worked out
and a smaller expedition than originally planned, with
19 participants, took off in the afternoon of Sunday
29 May. Because of the tephra cover, six cars suitable
for over-snow travel were used, but no snowmobiles
or snowcats. The main task was to study the eruption,
map out the craters and the distribution of the tephra
on Vatnajökull. This plan was largely successful and
the tephra thickness was measured in about 100 lo-
cations. In addition to eruption studies, GPS surveys
were conducted, accumulation measurements carried
out and a seismometer installed at a nunatak. The huts
of the Glaciological Society were cleaned of ash as
needed. Participants in addition to the Glaciological
Society volunteers, came from the Institute of Earth
Sciences of the University of Iceland, Landsvirkjun,
the Icelandic Meteorological Office, Cambridge Uni-
versity, Gothenburg University and Norsk Institutt for
luftforskning (NILU).
Tiltölulega lítil gjóska féll við húsin á Grímsfjalli. – Relatively little tephra fell on the huts at Grímsfjall.
Ljósm./Photo. MTG.
144 JÖKULL No. 63, 2013