Time-lapse characterization of hydrothermal seawater and microbial interactions with basaltic tephra at Surtsey Volcano

A groundbreaking International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) project aims to drill through the 50-year-old Surtsey Volcano, Iceland's youngest volcanic island, to investigate hydrothermal and microbial interactions with basaltic tephra. This study builds on a 1979 drilling effort, focusing on the structure of Surtseyan volcanism, changes in fluid geochemistry, and microbial colonization since the last drilling. Researchers plan to install a subsurface observatory to monitor these processes long-term, providing insights into hydrothermal conditions and potential applications for specialty concretes using pyroclastic rock. The project, involving 24 scientists from 10 countries, was developed during a workshop on Heimaey Island in 2014.

Jackson, M. D., Gudmundsson, M. T., Bach, W., Cappelletti, P., Coleman, N. J., Ivarsson, M., Jónasson, K., Jørgensen, S. L., Marteinsson, V., McPhie, J., Moore, J. G., Nielson, D., Rhodes, J. M., Rispoli, C., Schiffman, P., Stefánsson, A., Türke, A., Vanorio, T., Weisenberger, T. B., et al. (2015). Time-lapse characterization of hydrothermal seawater and microbial interactions with basaltic tephra at Surtsey Volcano. Scientific Drilling, 20, 51–58. https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-20-51-2015