Page 3 - Eureka! Spring 2010

Brian Cousens stands by a fumarole—or gas
vent—near Krafla volcano in northern Iceland.

variations are recorded in lava. Hot topic
Around 15 million years ago, long
after all the other continents had
already formed, lava from volcanic
Photo taken by Caroline Choquette surface. The island has been growing
eruptions along the mid-ocean ridge
cooled to form Iceland’s first land

ever since. Cousens and company
visited some of these ancient lava
flows, slowed in their tracks only by
glaciers and very steep topography.
“It really cools quickly,” said Cousens
of lava that makes up mountains,
Fire on Ice deep valleys and former “waterfalls of
lava carving out a path to the ocean”.
“In Iceland,” he adds, “these kinds of
features are everywhere.”
Canada has much to learn from this
volcano-studded island, said Cousens.

active volcanoes on the west coast—
Volcano virtuoso checks out a country’s Though Canada has several potentially
including at least three that have
maker and destroyer By Daniel Reid been active in the last few thousand
years—Iceland actually makes use of
theirs, using the naturally existing
geothermal warmth to heat water. “It
n southern Iceland, a huge hunk search of geysers, boiling mud pots, makes sense, the whole island is hot,”
Iof metal juts out awkwardly geothermal vents and, of course, said Cousens, adding that there are
over an otherwise flat landscape; volcanoes. several spots in the country where
scraped and half crumpled like a Since the 1950s, Hekla erupts about exposed ground water bubbles and
piece of old paper. It was once part every 10 years—with the last eruption boils at the surface.
of a well-travelled bridge over the occurring in 2000—blowing ash and Global warming has implications
river Gigjukvisl before it was swept small particles into the air. “The most in Iceland too. Cousens predicts that
away by a volcano-induced flood. recent eruptions haven’t been really as ice melts—in addition to more
Fourteen years have now passed since explosive or dangerous . . . but it’s widespread flooding—eruptions may
the disaster but the ruin remains still an absolute fact of life.” also become slightly more frequent.
a constant reminder of Iceland’s “Iceland is unique,” explains And that’s saying something. “(Global
precarious existence in one of the Cousens. “It’s what we call an warming) seems to encourage
most volcanically active regions in intraplate volcano, like Hawaii, that volcanic activity,” he said, adding that
the world. Iceland is home to some just happens to sit on a mid-ocean as heavy ice deposits melt, it removes
130 volcanic mountains which have, ridge,” said Cousens. “This is the an enormous amount of weight from
over the course of the past 500 years, only place in the world where you the earth’s surface, causing it to ever
spewed out a third of the world’s total can walk on a mid-ocean ridge.”Over so slightly spring upwards. Eruptions
lava. Dangerous? Maybe. But this land time, as the plates slowly move apart, might be dangerous but, contrary
of ice and fire is true paradise for fissures form in the crust allowing to their fiery nature, they actually
Brian Cousens, associate professor of molten rock to surface as lava—which contribute to global cooling, said
Earth Sciences at Carleton University. explains the frequent eruptions. Cousens. When a volcano erupts, it
“You are in some ways putting Volcanoes play a vital role in launches a cloud of ash and dust into
yourself into a dangerous spot ... but understanding the history of our the atmosphere, essentially blocking
the students learn 10,000 times more 4.5 billion-year-old planet explains out sunlight. That combined with the
than they would in a classroom”, Cousens, who studies how volcanic release of sulphur dioxide—which
he said of visiting Hekla, the most rocks make up the Earth’s mantle reacts with moisture in the air to
destructive volcano in Iceland, and crust.“The Earth’s interior has reflect sunlight—makes for one big
with 19 students from Carleton and different chemical fingerprints cooling system, and with the planet’s
the University of Ottawa during a depending on where you are on the temperature on the rise, maybe it isn’t
two-week field course to Iceland in planet,” he said, adding that these a bad thing.

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