In the fall of 1996 a subglacial eruption beneath the Vatnajoekull icecap triggered the largest joekulhlaup of this century of Iceland. The flood produced a large-scale sediment plume in the ocean floor. A field expedition was mounted with supplemental funds to sample and study the products of this event, including, sediment and water samples. New funds will be used to continue the analyses of this unique data set to: 1) characterized the sedimentation of particles from the event as they traveled to the sea and were dispersed, 2) examine the nature of particle laden plume in the water and its dispersal, and 3) investigate the dynamic nature of the floods as they enter the ocean. The study will shed new light on the behavior of the joekulhlaup flows, their dispersal and the sedimentary processes associated with them in the marine environment.
