Tag: Skeiðarárjökull

NSGG Postgraduate Research Symposium 2018 & Coptrz meeting.

by Ben Davenward Leave a comment

Busy day today in Leeds. I presented the results from my baseline survey in Iceland to the NSGG Postgraduate Research Symposium and was featured in a poster about geophysical survey with a mausoleum.

I was pleased with how my presentation went and if I didn’t pronounce Skeiðarárjökull right it was very close and sounded vaguely Icelandic. I received lots of good feedback and the other presentations stimulated some interesting discussion about a range of topics.

Unfortunately I missed a few of the presentations after lunch, but I did manage to squeeze in a quick meeting with George from Coptrz to discuss latest drone technologies (particularly thermal imaging and multi spectral cameras) and how they could be incorporated into my dead ice project, taking into account the need to transport the equipment by plane (LiPo batteries and planes don’t mix well).

I look forward to seeing how the other participants project a progress in the future, and would like to thank all involved for organising the event.

Google Streetview Submissions

by Ben Davenward Leave a comment

During my recent trip to Iceland I picked up a copy of Dave Evans’ book on Vatanajökull National Park (Southern Region): Guide to a Glacial Landscape Legacy, from the Rangers centre at Skaftafell.

The book has been a tremendous help to me whilst writing my literature review and planning my initial fieldwork season. The back of the book contains a series of suggested walks to places of note relating to glaciology and geomorphology. Whilst collecting my data at some of the site highlighted in the walking routes I thought it may be useful to photograph the locations as 360 photo spheres and upload them to google street view. I did this thinking it might be useful to others who study in similar fields.

Since uploading them they have generally been receiving around 7000-10,000 views per month which is completely astounding. Maybe its just tourists trying to find the perfect Instagram photo (I don’t think #BuriedIce will catch on any time soon but who knows) but I hope it’s helping others researching in this part of Iceland. Bonus points if you can find the Em-31.

Skeiðarárjökull Old Route 1 collapse structure 1

Skeiðarárjökull Old Route 1 collapse structure 2

Skeiðarárjökull 1991 Surge Limit

Skeiðarárjökull Ice-Cored moraine

Skeiðarárjökull Baseline Survey Complete

by Ben Davenward Leave a comment

I have safely returned from a successful eight day field trip to Skeiðarárjökull, Iceland to carry out the baseline survey alongside my wife and willing field assistant  Sam Davenward. Despite the exceptionally changeable March weather we managed to install permanent control at six localities, carry out UAV flights for Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and acquire EM-31 conductivity data for each site.

It was great to physically experience the environment I have been learning about for my Literature review and to be able to appreciate the scale of the Ice buried in the subsurface at Skeiðarárjökull.

Thanks to my field assistant (Sam Davenward), supervisors (Dr Richard Waller and Dr Alex Nobajas) and the Skaftafell Rangers for there help and support in relation to this initial fieldtrip, and I look forward to the next season.

Important Note

It is forbidden to fly drones within Skaftafel National Park without permission from the park rangers. A research permit was granted prior to fieldwork being conducted.