Search

Aim: The aim of this scoping review was to map and summarise clinical trials that attempted to prevent obesity in children from birth to 7 years of age in any of the Nordic countries. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL Plus and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for peer‐reviewed papers and registered trials published in English or Swedish. The overall search period was from 1 January 2002 to 13 December 2022. We included randomised and non‐randomised trials initiated from birth to 7 years of age that aimed to prevent obesity in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Results: The search resulted in 414 papers and 14 were included. Despite having diverse settings and designs, none of them reported consistently favourable results for anthropometric outcomes, apart from beneficial trends in subgroups with a high body mass index at baseline. Most studies reported temporarily improved dietary patterns. Conclusion: There is a gap in the current research about how to best prevent obesity in children. We suggest that researchers should focus on risk groups and that interventions that last a number of years are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual property pervades all aspects of life. Sustaining intellectual creations is often debatable. The abounding atmosphere of progress and development encompasses other industries as well. Tourism is a major economic driver that promotes social and cultural exchange while directly and indirectly employing millions of people. Destination branding is promoted by tourism. After the 2010 Eyjafjallajökul eruption, Iceland's reputation as a safe tourist destination plummeted. Iceland's government promoted the "Inspired by Iceland" brand to attract tourists. The brand is a symbol, mark, logo, name, word, or sentence used to distinguish one product from another. The paper examines the relationship between intellectual property rights (IPR) and tourism. Geographical indications (GI) have a huge impact on regional tourism. The GI manufacturing process and cultivation tend to attract tourists. Travelers often want to sample regional foods, flavors, aromas, and beverages and buy them directly from consumers, resulting in a tourist influx. The capitalist notion of destination branding is abandoned as the IPR‐based tourism sector is revived. It also promotes the best way to develop the tourism industry while protecting IPRs. The link is also heavily emphasized to promote tourism. Regional development and eco‐tourism policies should be promoted. The tourism industry benefits greatly from protecting indigenous communities and their traditional knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rockall Trough (RT) accommodates the warmest and saltiest branch of the North Atlantic Current, which delivers water from the Gulf Stream into the marine environment around western Europe. In addition, the European Slope Current (ESC) carries warm water northward along the eastern boundary of the RT, and exchange between the ESC and the continental shelf is a dominant factor in determining the oceanographic conditions around the British Isles. However, the picture of the mean circulation and variability in the RT is still emerging, with a continuous observational campaign still in its relative infancy. The ESC, in particular, is poorly constrained by ship‐based, mooring, and satellite observations. In this paper, we examine the RT circulation and volume transport using a temporally extended and spatially expanded observing network. Six years of continuous mooring occupation reveal that a large‐amplitude, basin‐scale freshening event, previously detected south of Iceland around 2015, impacted the RT around 2017. Geostrophic transport was greatly reduced during this period, driven by a concurrent subsurface temperature increase at the western boundary. The circulation regained strength during the latter part of the record. We gathered 110 glider transects over 22 months which capture the ESC velocity field in unprecedented detail. The data are sufficient to characterize both the mean state and the emergent seasonal variability of the ESC, and reveal the year‐round presence of a southward countercurrent at depth. Variability in the strength and structure of this previously unstudied feature modulates net northward transport in the eastern boundary current system. Plain Language Summary: The Rockall Trough (RT) is a key pathway for warm and salty water flowing northward, a process which plays a key role in dictating the western European climate. However, the amount of water flowing northward, and how it changes over time, is still rather uncertain. In particular, the narrow boundary current in the eastern RT has previously proven difficult to measure. In this paper, we use 6 years of continuous oceanographic observations in the RT to monitor the flow. We also used underwater robots, called gliders, to focus on the narrow current in the eastern boundary. The data gathered give the best description of the ocean currents in the region to date. The study period coincided with a period of profound change across the subpolar North Atlantic, with a strong freshwater signal detected in the RT around 2017. The glider observations give a detailed view of the narrow eastern boundary current and how it varies seasonally, and also revealed the presence of a southward‐flowing current at depth. Key Points: Eastern boundary current system captured in unprecedented detail using 22 months of near‐continuous glider observationsLarge‐scale freshening event in subpolar North Atlantic impacted Rockall Trough (RT) around 2017Interannual variability in poleward transport driven by subsurface temperature anomalies at the western flank of the RT [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open‐Path Fourier‐Transform Infrared (OP‐FTIR) absorption spectroscopy is a powerful method for remote characterization of volcanic plume composition from safe distances. Many studies have used it to examine the composition of volcanic gas emitted at the surface, which is influenced by initial volatile contents and magma ascent/storage processes, and help to reveal the dynamics controlling surface activity. However, to evaluate the health hazard threats associated with volcanic emissions and their potential impact on wider atmospheric conditions, near‐source particle measurements are also key. Here we present a forward model and fitting algorithm which allows quantification of particle size and abundance. This was successfully applied to radiometrically uncalibrated OP‐FTIR spectra collected with a highly dynamic radiation source during the Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland, on 11 August 2021. Quantification of plume temperatures ranging from 350 to 650 K was essential to characterize the emission‐absorption behavior of SO2, enabling retrievals of particulate matter in the thermal infrared spectral window (750–1250 cm−1) in each spectrum. For the first time, we observe the rapid formation of primary aerosols in young plumes (only a few seconds old) with OP‐FTIR. Temperature‐dependent SO2/SO42− molar ratios range from 100 to 250, consistent with a primary formation mechanism controlled by cooling and entrainment of atmospheric gases. This novel aerosol spectrum retrieval opens new frontiers in field‐based measurements of sulfur partitioning and volcanic plume evolution, with the potential to improve volcano monitoring and quantification of air quality hazard assessments. Plain Language Summary: Open‐Path Fourier‐Transform Infrared (OP‐FTIR) spectroscopy is often used during volcanic eruptions to identify and quantify the amounts of different gases released during eruptions from a safe distance. This is important because gas compositions contain information about where magma came from and how it rose to the surface and erupted, and help us understand the impact of eruptions on air quality and climate. This paper presents a new way of analyzing spectra which allows us to quantify the amount and composition of aerosols, small droplets of water and other chemicals such as sulfuric acid. These aerosols can have important impacts on air quality and local climate, or even global climate in the case of large eruptions. We used this new approach during an eruption in 2021 on Iceland, pointing the instrument directly at the erupting vent, and were able to observe the formation of aerosols very close to their emission point, where they undergo rapid cooling. This is the first time we have been able to directly measure this aerosol formation process during an eruption. Our work opens new opportunities to re‐analyze older data to extract further insights and provides new opportunities to better understand the impacts of future eruptions. Key Points: We present a new method for retrieving water and sulfate aerosol column densities from Open‐Path Fourier‐Transform Infrared measurements of near‐source volcanic plumesTemperature‐dependent SO2/SO42− ratios range from 100 in colder plumes to 250 in hotter plumesThis method enables quantitative observation of primary aerosol formation in young plumes, a few seconds after emission [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first continuous observations of Iceland Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) passing through the Bight Fracture Zone (BFZ), the northernmost deep bathymetric channel across the Reykjanes Ridge between the Iceland and Irminger Basins in the subpolar North Atlantic. Data from two 2‐year moorings, measuring temperature, salinity, and current velocity from 2015 to 2017, along with a set of deep ISOW‐embedded RAFOS floats, are used to investigate ISOW transport and water property variability through the BFZ, as well as advective pathways between the Iceland and Irminger Basins. The mooring‐derived record‐mean ISOW transport through the BFZ was −0.59 ± 0.27 × 1e6 m3/s (westward) and varied seasonally with weaker transport in winter and stronger transport in summer. Flow direction of ISOW through the BFZ was consistently westward except in winter, when week‐long flow reversals were frequently observed. The previously reported subpolar North Atlantic freshening event of the 2010s is evident in the BFZ mooring records beginning about January 2017. About one‐quarter of floats deployed in ISOW at 1800‐m depth upstream in the Iceland Basin show a direct advective pathway into the BFZ that appears to be primarily determined by bathymetry. Another quarter of the floats crossed over the ridge to the Irminger Sea through other gaps prior to reaching the Charlie‐Gibbs Fracture Zone. Plain Language Summary: The deep currents in the North Atlantic Ocean transport cold, dense waters from high latitudes southward as part of the climate‐relevant overturning circulation. Understanding of the pathways and transports of these currents is improving, but some knowledge gaps persist. This paper describes the first sustained measurements of the deep current transporting cold, dense water through a major gap in the shallow Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, called the Bight Fracture Zone (BFZ), during 2015–2017. The resulting estimate of the mean volume transport through BFZ (about 600,000 m3/s westward) helps to quantify the total amount of this dense water mass passing from the eastern to western North Atlantic and provides a benchmark for numerical simulations of the deep ocean circulation in this region. The measurements also revealed an apparent seasonal cycle in volume transport, and unexpected flow reversals, mostly in winter. In early 2017, a significant decrease in salinity was observed, indicating the arrival in the BFZ of a known large‐scale low‐salinity anomaly that has been circulating around the northern North Atlantic since about 2010. Taken together, the results add several pieces to the puzzle that is the complex deep ocean circulation of the North Atlantic. Key Points: First time series of Iceland Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) transport through the Bight Fracture Zone (BFZ) indicates mean of −0.6 ± 0.3 Sv (westward)These year‐round observations of ISOW transport through the BFZ reveal, for the first time, wintertime flow reversals and an annual cycleDeep floats show a direct advective pathway into the BFZ that appears most influenced by local bathymetry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we attempt to better understand concerns, needs and expectations of European consumers towards the use of intelligent packaging technologies as this topic appears to need further investigation from a marketing point of view. Thus, this study contributes to the currently limited body of research on the application of smart tag technologies on food packaging by exploring information benefits to consumers and by providing insights for marketers on how these technologies could be further employed to create value for consumers, manufacturers and regulatory bodies. A qualitative user‐centred approach was employed to get insights about consumers' shared views on future packaging solutions that could be introduced by European stakeholders of the food industry using different smart labels. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted online in five European countries: United Kingdom, Finland, Spain, Poland and Iceland. Respondents indicated that food safety and quality were the most important issues connected to the food value chain. Participants also identified and expressed their preferences for information that stakeholders of the food industry should deliver with smart tag labels. Smart tag labels should inform consumers about ingredients, food storage, food preparation, shelf life, health, real‐time freshness, recycling and personalised deals. In terms of preferences for different smart labels, participants indicated quick response (QR) codes and freshness indicators to be the technologies of the future for stakeholders of the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of temperate glaciers to rapid climate warming is reflected in the geomorphology (landsystem) resulting from snout recession. This paper develops a locally diverse process‐form model of active temperate glaciers through mapping and quantification of historical landscape change on the Fjallsjökull‐Hrútárjökull foreland, SE Iceland. Quantification of volumetric and areal changes on the foreland are based on time series of archival aerial images for the period 1945–1998, high‐resolution satellite imagery for 2014 and digital elevation models of differences derived from time series of UAV imagery for the years 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022. Landscape change and glacier snout behaviour since 1945 highlights the importance of azonal and potentially intrazonal signatures in temperate glacial landsystems, particularly: (1) the development and collapse of partially supraglacial outwash fans to produce outwash heads fronting depositional overdeepenings; and (2) the emergence of ice‐cored eskers that record the evolution of englacial drainage networks operating over overdeepenings. Such landform assemblages are manifested as substantial ice‐cored/hummocky terrains, a characteristic of deglaciating forelands that is likely to be widely replicated wherever ice‐contact glacifluvial assemblages create outwash heads that act as depositional overdeepenings. Due to its significantly greater supraglacial debris cover, complete de‐icing of the Hrútárjökull snout in response to post‐1945 warming was delayed until around 2014. This constitutes a prime example of incremental stagnation, which in a rapidly warming climate has resulted in significant landscape change (land surface elevation collapse of 0.8 m a−1) over the last 8 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale ground deformation in Iceland is dominated by extensional plate‐boundary deformation, where the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge crosses the island, and by uplift due to glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) from thinning and retreat of glaciers. While this deformation is mostly steady over multiple years, it is modulated by smaller‐scale transient deformation associated with, for example, earthquakes, volcanic unrest, and geothermal exploitation. Here, we combine countrywide Sentinel‐1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data (from six tracks) from 2015 to 2021 with continuous Global Navigation Satellite System observations to produce time series of displacements across Iceland. The InSAR results were improved in a two‐step tropospheric mitigation procedure, using (a) global atmospheric models to reduce long‐wavelength and topography‐correlated tropospheric signals, and (b) modeling of the stochastic properties of the residual troposphere. Our results significantly improve upon earlier countrywide InSAR results, which were based on InSAR stacking, as we use more data, better data weighting, and advanced InSAR corrections to produce time series of ground displacements instead of just velocities. We fuse the three ascending and three descending track results to estimate maps of East and Up velocities, which clearly show the large‐scale extension and GIA deformation. Using revised plate‐spreading and GIA models, based on these new ground velocity maps, we remove the large‐scale and steady deformation from the InSAR time series and analyze the remaining transient deformations. Our results demonstrate the importance of (a) mitigating InSAR tropospheric signals over Iceland and of (b) solving for time series of deformation, not just velocities, as multiple transient deformation processes are present. Plain Language Summary: Iceland is continuously deforming due to multiple processes across the country, including both large‐scale plate spreading and smaller‐scale transient processes. In this paper, we use 7 years (2015–2021) of Sentinel‐1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data to map in high‐resolution the ground displacements in Iceland to study both the long‐term and short‐term geodynamic activity. Horizontal movements associated with plate spreading and uplift caused by thinning and retreat of glaciers dominate the observed displacement field. After removing the large‐scale movements from the displacement results using modeled displacements, we analyze local deformation associated with earthquakes, slope instability, and volcanic and geothermal processes. Our study demonstrates the capability of InSAR in studying nationwide spatio‐temporal geodynamic processes. Key Points: Time series of countrywide displacements over Iceland from 2015 to 2021 derived by integrating Sentinel‐1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and GPS observationsA two‐step InSAR tropospheric correction method used to mitigate both short‐wavelength and long‐wavelength tropospheric effectsResults dominated by plate spreading and glacial isostatic adjustment with numerous other smaller‐scale signals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the link between young people's well‐being and the creative arts is strengthening, there is a lack of research which focuses on the roles that artists play to help teachers and parents engage young people in the creative arts. This paper explores the benefits of and barriers to artists working in education in six European countries (England, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Italy and Austria). Using the '5A's model of creativity' and a view of professional development taking place within 'landscapes of practice', the data were analysed in order to explain how creativity is operationalised in the different contexts. Our study highlights the need for policy at a national and transnational level to value the creative arts in order to help teachers cross boundaries and utilise the full potential of the creative arts in schools. Our study also highlights that further research is needed into how artists shape teaching and curriculum and how schools engage parents in the creative arts in order to build an evidence‐base relating to young people's positive mental health that can affect policy at these levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edwards et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004386) take tree ring samples from Scots pine trees in Sämtland, Sweden, and analyze them to reconstruct the summer temperatures for 1783. The maximum latewood density data for 1783 are low, suggesting cooler temperatures. The authors conclude that anatomical anomalies in their samples resulted from acidic damage caused by the Laki haze, a dry and sulfuric smelling fog emitted by the Laki fissure in Iceland during its eruption, which lasted from 8 June 1783 to 7 February 1784. This finding resolves a long‐standing discrepancy between historical documents that indicate an unusually warm summer in 1783 and temperature reconstructions based on tree rings that often suggested a cooler summer. The paper by Edwards et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004386) thereby shows the potential of interdisciplinary collaborations: Only by studying historical records does it becomes apparent that the summer was not cold but warm. Historical records indicate further that the Laki haze also affected the vegetation in other parts of Europe, such as England, the Low Countries, and Germany. Further study of tree rings to reconstruct the temperature of other regions is desirable. Plain Language Summary: Edwards et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021pa004386) collected tree samples from Sämtland in Sweden to study their rings, specifically those rings pertaining to their maximum latewood density. The analysis, focusing on the period from 1768 to 1798, has shown that the anatomy of the latewood of these trees was anomalous for the year 1783. The authors propose that this was caused by the acidic, dry fog produced by the Laki eruption in Iceland. This eruption released very large volumes of sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases into the atmosphere, which traveled widely across the northern hemisphere. Because the acidic fog changed the anatomy of the trees, their rings were no longer suitable to read the temperature for the summer of 1783 accurately. These tree rings seemed to indicate that it was cold, but historical records strongly suggest that the summer was, in fact, very warm. Natural scientists and historians can only reach such conclusions when they work together. Key Points: The findings by Edwards et al. (2022) resolve a discrepancy between historical documents and tree ring‐based temperature reconstructionsWithout an analysis of the historical records that show a warm summer, this discrepancy would not have become apparentHistorical records reveal other areas (Low Countries, Germany) also experienced vegetation damage and have potential for further studies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nordic countries have higher rates of internal migration than most other Western societies and have not always shared in the declines noted in other countries. This paper examines migration in Iceland during the period 1986–2017 to add to the wider international literature on migration trends. Compared with its Nordic neighbours, Iceland has the highest rates of internal migration and currently also the greatest porosity in terms of international inflows and outflows. The main focus is on migration flows between the Reykjavík capital area—the only city in the country—the nearby exurban regions on the one hand and the more distant provinces at the other hand. We show that, despite continued high aggregate migration rates, there has been a slight but long‐term downward trend in all moves. We also indicate that migration rates are highly sensitive to cyclic economic fluctuations. Migration between the Reykjavík capital area and its surrounding exurban regions is characterised by increasing mobility during economic booms but the Great Recession starting in 2008 led to a fall in migration. However, the slight decline in overall internal migration in Iceland since the 1990s can almost exclusively be attributed to the decline in migration from the provinces to the Reykjavík capital area, which predates the 2008 Great Recession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports new software, PRIMELT3-P, for computing the pressure and temperature range over which a primary basaltic magma was formed by adiabatic decompression and fractional melting of fertile mantle peridotite. The underlying model was developed to explore the meaning of magmatic pressure and its connection to the physics of mantle melting, melt extraction, and melt migration. We present a comparison of the results of the batch melting model FractionatePT3 (Lee et al., 2009, https://doi. org/10.1016/j.epsl.2008.12.020) and the new fractional melting model PRIMELT3-P, each applied to basalts from various localities, with a particular focus on Hawai'i and Iceland. The unexpected result is that pressures for batch melting and fractional melting are quite similar across a broad range of potential temperatures, agreeing to within ±0.29 GPa (1σ) when applied to magmas that pass tests for derivation from peridotite sources. Although samples from both Hawai'i and Iceland yield a range of final pressures of melting, the minimum final pressure in each location coincides with independent geophysical constraints-the depth to the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath Hawai'i and to the Moho below Iceland. These results clarify the meaning of primary magma pressure, but the concept remains complex. We suggest that computed temperature and pressure arrays arising from heterogeneous peridotite-source primary magmas may reflect melt transport and mixing in a thermally zoned mantle plume with a complex network of branching melt channels that nucleate over a range of depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grabens, or valleys formed during extensional tectonic events, are common but rarely observed during formation. In November 2023, inelastic surface deformation formed abruptly along Iceland's plate boundary in Grindavík. We documented graben formation in real‐time through satellite mapping (InSAR), seismicity, GNSS data, repeated lidar surveys, and field mapping. Five normal faults and ∼12 fissures ruptured the surface delineating two grabens separated by a horst, a context not present in other contemporary case studies. The graben normal faults slipped rapidly (over hours) and maximum surface motions coincided with the occurrence of turbulent seismic swarms in both space and time. Although 3 eruptions took place ∼15 km northeast of Grindavík from 2021 to 2023, attributed to magma intrusions (i.e., dikes), none of these also formed grabens. Thus, the Grindavík grabens shows evidence for tectonic origins. Real‐time monitoring of these phenomena provide insight into graben formation on Earth and potentially on other planets. Plain Language Summary: Valleys known as grabens, typically caused by extensional tectonic events, are a common geological feature, yet their formation is rarely observed. In November 2023, such two grabens suddenly emerged along the boundary between tectonic plates in the town of Grindavík, Iceland. The grabens were shaped by tectonic activity expressed by a swarm of earthquakes and associated ground deformation and resulted in normal faults rupturing the surface and cutting through houses, linear infrastructure including water pipelines and roads within Grindavík. We document the grabens and horst in real time using satellite mapping (InSAR), geodetic GPS data, repeated drone surveys, field mapping, and seismic recordings from a local seismic network. The combination of these data provide unprecedented level of precision in characterizing surface and sub‐surface deformations, especially when maximum surface motions correlate with a turbulent seismic activity in both space and time. Critically, following the formation of the grabens, a series of intensive through short‐lived eruptions happened in December 2023, January 2024, February 2024, March, and May 2024 within the northernmost portion of the grabens. Our observations provide valuable insights into the natural laboratory of Iceland and contribute to the understanding of plate tectonics both on Earth and other planets. Key Points: The 2023 seismic swarm and extension lead to a graben forming that coincides in time and space along Iceland's plate boundaryDuring 2021 to December 2023 only one tectonic graben formed, although 4 eruptions have taken placeThe graben in Grindavík, Iceland is wider at the surface than most recently documented grabens (∼4,500 m vs. <1,000 m) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have more pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preterm labor than other women. Metformin has been used in an attempt to improve pregnancy outcomes. Our study aims to explore childbirth experiences in women with PCOS compared with a reference population. It also explores the potential influence of metformin, obesity, pregnancy complications, and the duration and mode of birth on childbirth experiences. Material and methods: This study is a cohort study combining data from two randomized trials conducted in Norway, Sweden and Iceland. The PregMet2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01587378) investigated the use of metformin vs. placebo in pregnant women with PCOS. The Labour Progression Study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02221427) compared the WHO partograph to Zhang's guidelines for progression of labor and were used as the reference population. A total of 365 women with PCOS and 3604 reference women were included. Both studies used the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Main outcome measures were total CEQ score and four domain scores. The CEQ scores were compared using Mann–Whitney U test for women in Robson group 1 with PCOS (n = 131) and reference women (n = 3604). CEQ scores were also compared between metformin‐treated (n = 180) and placebo‐treated (n = 185) women with PCOS, and for different subgroups of women with PCOS. Results: There was no difference in total CEQ score between women with PCOS and reference women—Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney (WMW)‐odds 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78–1.17). We detected no difference in CEQ scores between the metformin‐ and placebo‐treated women with PCOS (WMW‐odds 1.13, 95% CI 0.89–1.43). Complications in pregnancy did not affect CEQ (WMW‐odds 1, 95% CI 0.76–1.31). Higher body mass index (WMW‐odds 0.75, 95% CI 0.58–0.96), longer duration of labor (WMW‐odds 0.69, 95% CI 0.49–0.96), and cesarean section (WMW‐odds 0.29, 95% CI 0.2–0.42) were associated with lower CEQ scores in women with PCOS. Conclusions: Women with PCOS experience childbirth similarly to the reference women. Metformin did not influence childbirth experience in women with PCOS, neither did pregnancy complications. Obesity, long duration of labor or cesarean section had a negative impact on childbirth experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2021, Askja caldera switched to reinflation following ∼40 years of continuous deflation that was first measured some 20 years after its last eruption in 1961. Various lines of evidence, including from geodetic modeling, suggest that both the deflation and reinflation events are related to a shallow magma body. To better understand the subsurface plumbing system, we derive P‐wave velocity (Vp), S‐wave velocity (Vs), and Vp/Vs models of the mid‐upper crust by leveraging a new local earthquake traveltime data set. A cylindrical low‐velocity zone, ∼3 km wide and extending to ∼8 km below sea level (bsl), was imaged beneath the caldera. Within it, two distinct lower velocity and higher Vp/Vs anomalies are illuminated, one centered at ∼0.5 km and the other at ∼6 km bsl. The shallower anomaly lies directly beneath the zone of uplift and is likely associated with the current reinflation event. Plain Language Summary: The uplift at Askja, which started in August 2021, has drawn attention not only from volcanologists but also from the general public because it followed ∼40 years of subsidence first measured in 1981, 20 years after its last eruption in 1961. Several studies have related the subsidence to the deflation of a shallow magma body beneath the volcano, but this has not previously been detected by body wave tomography, which is a technique to image 3‐D variations in the subsurface, like a medical CT scan. It uses earthquakes that occur below and surrounding the volcano. In this study, we take advantage of a new earthquake data set to image the crust immediately beneath the volcano. We discover a shallow velocity anomaly that directly underlies the locus of surface uplift. This anomaly is likely caused by the presence of partial melt and higher temperatures, which is consistent with the existence of a shallow magma body that is causing the uplift. Understanding the nature of the current volcanic unrest is crucial, particularly in light of the large explosive eruption of 1875, which dispersed ash over large parts of Iceland. Key Points: A cylindrical low‐velocity zone, ∼3 km wide and extending to ∼8 km bsl, has been imaged beneath Askja calderaWithin this zone, two distinct lower velocity and higher Vp/Vs anomalies are detected at ∼0.5 km and ∼6 km bslThe shallower anomaly underlies an area of recent surface uplift, which is consistent with shallow melt accumulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To advance our comprehension of the complex geological history and mantle dynamics in the North Atlantic region, we employ all available broadband seismic data recorded in Greenland to reveal an abnormal mantle transition zone (MTZ) structure. Central and eastern Greenland exhibits depressed 410 and 660 km discontinuities (d410 and d660, respectively) bordering the MTZ, indicative of a substantial thermal anomaly associated with an underlying plume, surpassing the 1,800°C threshold for post‐garnet phase transitions at the d660. Variations in MTZ thickness across Greenland stem from differing temperature anomalies at the d410 and d660, possibly linked to a tilted plume within the MTZ. These findings corroborate geodynamic models, elucidating the interaction between post‐garnet phase transitions and upwelling plumes. The results shed light on the origin of the enigmatic Icelandic hotspot track and its influence on the thermal and lithospheric structures beneath Greenland. Plain Language Summary: The physical and chemical processes responsible for producing the magnificent volcanic eruptions in Iceland and the North Atlantic region are debated issues in the geoscientific community despite numerous field and laboratory studies over the past several decades. One of the hypotheses for the formation of the volcanoes is that they originate from a column of hot rocks rising from the deep mantle, that is, a mantle plume. The geometry, depth extent, and temperature anomaly of the plume are not well defined but can be constrained using the topography of two phase‐transition boundaries approximately at the globally averaged depths of 410 and 660 km, respectively. By analyzing P‐to‐S converted phases from the two discontinuities recorded by seismic stations, our results support the existence of a mantle plume that is broader than most other plumes on Earth beneath east Greenland. In addition, the results suggest that the nature of the phase transition across the 660 km discontinuity is different between the hottest core of the plume stem and the colder peripheral areas. The existence of the particular type of phase transition in the plume center can explain the large dimension of the plume, the excessive volcanism and other observations in the area. Key Points: The central and east Greenland shows abnormal mantle transition zone (MTZ) thickness, indicating a deep‐seated mantle plumeSeismic data unveil the impact of post‐garnet phase transition at the 660‐km discontinuity on mantle dynamicsVariations in MTZ thickness suggest the existence of a tilted plume and offer insights into the plume behavior [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northeastern part of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre is a key passage for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation upper cell. To this day, the precise pathway and intensity of bottom currents in this area is not clear. In this study, we make use of regional high resolution numerical modeling to suggest that the main bottom current flowing south of Iceland originates from both the Faroe‐Banks Channel and the Iceland‐Faroe Ridge and then flows along the topographic slope. When flowing over the rough topography, this bottom current generates a 200 m large bottom mixed layer. We further demonstrate that many submesoscale structures are generated at the southernmost tip of the Icelandic shelf, which subsequently spread water masses in the Iceland Basin. These findings have major implication for the understanding of the water masses transport in the North Atlantic, and also for the distribution of benthic species along the Icelandic shelf. Plain Language Summary: Water masses formed in the Arctic Ocean overflow into the North Atlantic at the bottom of the ocean, forming the so‐called upper cell of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The pathway of the currents carrying these water masses is still under debate due to a lack of observations. In this study, we discuss in details the pathway of these bottom currents in the specific area south of Iceland. We show that a steady current flows along the Icelandic continental shelf, and then divide in smaller structures when reaching the southernmost tip of Iceland. We also show that on its way, the current mixes the bottom layer of the ocean. These findings have major implication in the understanding of heat and carbon transport at depth in this area, which constitute an important response of the climate to anthropogenic forcing. Key Points: An intense bottom boundary current originating from the Iceland‐Faroe Ridge and the Faroe Bank Channel flows along the Icelandic ShelfThe rough topography and the intensity of the current lead to bottom mixing and sustain a large bottom mixed layerSubsmesoscale structures generated locally participate in the spreading of deep water masses in the Iceland Basin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watermass transformation in the Irminger Sea, a key region for the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, is influenced by atmospheric and oceanic variability. Strong wintertime atmospheric forcing in 2015 resulted in enhanced convection and the densification of the Irminger Sea. Deep convection persisted until 2018, even though winters following 2015 were mild. We show that this behavior can be attributed to an initially slow convergence of buoyancy, followed by more rapid convergence of buoyancy. This two‐stage recovery, in turn, is consistent with restratification driven by baroclinic instability of the Irminger Current (IC), that flows around the basin. The initial, slow restratification resulted from the weak horizontal density gradients created by the widespread 2015 atmospheric heat loss. Faster restratification occurred once the IC recovered. This mechanism explains the delayed recovery of the Irminger Sea following a single extreme winter and has implications for the ventilation and overturning that occurs in the basin. Plain Language Summary: The Irminger Sea, between Greenland and Iceland, is known to be an important driver of variability in the global ocean circulation that regulates global climate. During the 2015 winter, the Irminger Sea experienced widespread cooling and buoyancy loss down to 1,000 m, resulting in deeper wintertime mixing than had been observed in the region for many years. This low buoyancy state and deep wintertime mixing persisted from 2015 to 2018, despite a return to average atmospheric wintertime conditions. Here we study how processes that typically provide summertime buoyancy gain to balance wintertime buoyancy loss contribute to the multi‐year recovery of the region. We characterize the recovery of the interior of the Irminger Sea as having two stages: initially slow recovery, followed by more rapid recovery. Our findings are consistent with earlier studies stating that the main source of buoyancy to the interior is eddies shed from the current flowing around the Irminger Sea. This study shows that the deep mixing that is important for global circulation and climate is influenced by changes in the current around the basin. Key Points: Widespread buoyancy loss across the Irminger interior and Irminger Current (IC) delayed the recovery of the interior from strong cooling in 2015Baroclinic instabilities shed from the IC are the dominant source of buoyancy restratifying the sub‐surface Irminger interiorIt is important to consider changes in the IC when considering drivers of variability in convection, ventilation, and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling magma plutons and intrusions are the heat sources for hydrothermal systems in volcanic settings. To explain system longevity and observed heat transfer at rates higher than those explained by pure conduction, the concept of fluid convection in fractures that deepen because of thermal rock contraction has been proposed as a heat‐source mechanism. While recent numerical studies have supported this half a century old hypothesis, understanding of the various regimes where convective downward migration of fractures can be an effective mechanism for heat transfer is lacking. Using a numerical model for fluid flow and fracture propagation in thermo‐poroelastic media, we investigate scenarios for which convective downward migration of fractures may occur. Our results support convective downward migration of fractures as a possible mechanism for development of hydrothermal systems, both for settings within active zones of volcanism and spreading and, under favorable conditions, in older crust away from such zones. Plain Language Summary: Geothermal energy is transferred through and stored in the rock and fluids of the Earth's crust. If temperature increases sufficiently with depth and the crust provides sufficient pathways for water to flow through, colder water sinks and percolates downward, gets heated at depth and then rises due to its lower density at higher temperature. This creates a hydrothermal circulation system that transports heat from the deep crust to shallower depths from where it can be produced. Wells drilled into these systems produce hot water and/or steam for direct heat utilization or electricity production. To understand the renewability of hydrothermal systems, we need to understand how heat is transferred deep in the crust. A hypothesis has been proposed, suggesting that fractures, propagating downwards because of contraction of the water‐cooled surrounding rock, are central to maintaining the heat transfer from the deep crust. Our computer simulations corroborate this hypothesis. Based on settings found in Iceland, we show how fluid flow and propagation of fractures can be important for development of hydrothermal systems both in active regions of volcanism and, under favorable conditions, also in older crust away from such regions. The latter results are important for the identification of hidden geothermal systems. Key Points: Numerical modeling supports convective downward migration of fractures as a source mechanism for hydrothermal systemsFluid flow, fracture opening and propagation in a thermo‐poroelastic rock mass are simulated in different geological settings in the crustCrustal stresses are key to understanding whether a hydrothermal system can evolve in regions away from active zones of volcanism [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence and prevalence of pelvic endometriosis is still being debated. Population‐based studies have shown annual incidences between 0.1% and 0.3%, which translates to a prevalence of symptom‐giving disease of between 2% and 6% over a 20‐year span in the reproductive years. However, a prevalence of 10% or higher is often assumed. We used Iceland's extensive record linkage possibilities, secure access to patient data and personal identification numbers to search for all cases with a surgical and/or histological first diagnosis over a 15‐year study period. Material and methods: Information was obtained from all healthcare facilities where an operative and/or histological diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis might have been made during 2001–2015. Hospital discharge diagnostic data and private clinic data sources were scrutinized and double‐checked through a central register. Individual medical records, operation notes and pathology records were inspected. Visually and pathologically diagnosed cases were included. The data covered women aged 15–69 years, but the age range 15–49 (reproductive years) was specifically considered. Annual incidence was estimated per 10 000 person‐years and prevalence possibilities calculated for varying disease durations. Disease severity was staged (revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification) and main lesion sites determined. Results: A total of 1634 women 15–69 years old were diagnosed; 1487 of them between 15 and 49 years old. Histological verification was obtained for 57.1%. The age‐standardized annual incidence for all confirmed endometriosis diagnoses was 12.5/10 000 person‐years among women in their reproductive years. The overall estimate of prevalence was 0.6%–3.6%, dependent on duration of symptoms from 5 up to 30 years. The most common sites by order of frequency were ovaries, deep pelvis, central pelvis, vesicouterine pouch and uterine appendages. Of the women, 1080 (66.1%) had minimal/mild and 553 (33.8%) moderate/severe disease. Conclusions: We have in a comprehensive study covering a recent 15‐year period confirmed an annual incidence of pelvic endometriosis of between 0.1% and 0.15% in the female population of reproductive age. Endometriosis is variably severe but, depending on the duration of symptomatic disease, the approximated prevalence during women's reproductive years could range from 1% to 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introgressive hybridisation between arctic dwarf birch (Betula nana) and European downy birch (B. pubescens) is relatively common in natural woodlands in Iceland. As dwarf birch is a diploid species and downy tree birch a tetraploid species, their hybrids are triploid. In the introgression process, triploid hybrids, which are partially fertile, can backcross with the parental species, producing progenies comprising introgressed diploid, triploid and tetraploid plants. Triploid plants produce both normal triporate pollen (with three pores) and abnormal, aborted pollen, due to dysfunctional meiosis. The type of pollen abnormality that can be detected and quantified is non‐triporate pollen (with four or more pores in the pollen wall). We therefore used the presence of non‐triporate pollen as a marker to trace birch hybridisation in the past. In the current study we examined fossil pollen in samples from Holocene sediments from three locations: Grímsnes (SW), Eyjafjördur (N) and Thistilsfjördur (NE Iceland). All three peat monoliths had the starting age of 10.3 cal. ka BP. Ages were calibrated based on known tephra layers and by radiocarbon dating. The size of Betula pollen grains was measured, and the species proportions calculated from size. Non‐triporate grains were detected in samples from all three locations and throughout the Holocene, but with different frequencies. The peaks of intense hybridisation followed birch woodland expansion in two major periods of the Holocene, both coinciding with a warming of climate. The first period occurred in the Early Holocene, around 9.5–7 cal. ka BP, when the climate warmed rapidly after deglaciation. The second period occurred around 5–3.5 cal. ka BP, well within the mid‐Holocene Northern Hemisphere warming. A new wave of birch hybridisation appears to have started in the last few decades as the climate has warmed. Birch woodlands are likely to become more widespread. Introgressed shrub birch is likely to be more competitive over dwarf birch. LAY DESCRIPTION: We microscopically examined birch (Betula) pollen in samples from peat sediments extracted from three geographically diverse locations in Iceland and throughout the Holocene epoch, which began 10,000 years ago. By measuring the size of individual pollen grains, we were able to differentiate pollen of the shrub‐like downy birch (B. pubescens) from its closely related dwarf birch species (B. nana). The results revealed an establishment and a rapid expansion of birch woodland predominated by B. pubescens soon after the retreat of the Icelandic Pleistocene icesheet. We also found abnormal looking pollen grains in the samples, essentially those having more than the usual three pores on the pollen wall, so‐called non‐triporate pollen. This type of pollen abnormality is common among pollen produced by triploid birch hybrids, the progeny of hybridisation between diploid dwarf birch and tetraploid downy birch. Non‐triporate grains were detected in samples from all three locations and throughout the Holocene, but with different frequencies. The results showed peaks of intense hybridisation following woodland expansion in the initial period of the Holocene, from about 9000 years ago, and again in the warming period of the mid‐Holocene Thermal Maximum, the period between 5000 and 3000 years ago. Triploid hybrids that were produced during the intense period of hybridisation could backcrossed with the dwarf birch or the downy birch, allowing gene flow by introgression between the two species, presumably making birch more adaptive to environmental changes. Thus, climate warming in the current era is expected to promote this introgressive hybridisation resulting in significant change of landscape of the birch woodland in Iceland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government responses to the Covid‐19 pandemic in the Nordic states—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—exhibit similarities and differences. This article investigates the extent to which crisis policymaking diverges from normal policymaking within the Nordic countries and whether variations between the countries are associated with the role of expertise and the level of politicization. Government responses are analyzed in terms of governance arrangements and regulatory instruments. Findings demonstrate some deviation from normal policymaking within and considerable variation between the Nordic countries, as Denmark, Finland, and to some extent Norway exhibit similar patterns with hierarchical command and control governance arrangements, while Iceland, in some instances, resembles the case of Sweden, which has made use of network‐based governance. The article shows that the higher the influence of experts, the more likely it is that the governance arrangement will be network‐based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Organisation of care, perinatal and neonatal management of very preterm infants in the Nordic regions were hypothesised to vary significantly. The aim of this observational study was to test this hypothesis. Methods: Information on preterm infants in the 21 greater healthcare regions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was gathered from national registers in 2021. Preterm birth rates, case‐mix, perinatal interventions, neonatal morbidity and survival to hospital discharge in very (<32 weeks) and extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks of gestational age) were compared. Results: Out of 287 642 infants born alive, 16 567 (5.8%) were preterm, 2389 (0.83%) very preterm and 800 (0.28%) were extremely preterm. In very preterm infants, exposure to antenatal corticosteroids varied from 85% to 98%, live births occurring at regional centres from 48% to 100%, surfactant treatment from 28% to 69% and use of mechanical ventilation varied from 13% to 77% (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Significant regional variations within and between countries were also seen in capacity in neonatal care, case‐mix and number of admissions, whereas there were no statistically significant differences in survival or major neonatal morbidities. Conclusion: Management of very preterm infants exhibited significant regional variations in the Nordic countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion has been a persistent problem in high‐latitude regions and may worsen as climate change unfolds and encourages increased anthropogenic exploitation. We propose that soil moisture is likely to shape future erosion trends, as moisture stress reduces the capacity of vegetation cover to retard erosive processes. However, the spatial variability of soil moisture in high‐latitude soils—and the ways in which this variability drives the spatial distribution of erosion features—is poorly understood. We addressed this knowledge gap with a study of andosol erosion in southern Iceland. Our study used a combination of high‐resolution (<3 cm) remote sensing data (using normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalised difference red edge as metrics of plant vitality) and long‐term, in situ measurements of soil moisture to unpick the relationship between moisture stress, vegetation vitality and patchy soil erosion. Mean NDVI increased with distance from eroded areas, varying from ~0.6 in vegetated areas on the margins of erosion patches to ~0.8 in areas >10 m from eroded terrain. We found lower moisture availability close to existing erosion features: mean volumetric soil moisture content varied from 17% (proximal to erosion patch) to 36% (distal to erosion patch). We also found that variability in soil moisture decreased with distance from eroded areas: the coefficient of variation (CV) in soil moisture varied from 0.33 (proximal to erosion patch) to 0.13 (distal to erosion). Our findings indicate that the margins of erosion patches have a stressful soil environment due to exposure to the atmosphere. The vegetation in these locations grows less vigorously, and the exposed soil becomes more vulnerable to erosion, leading to erosion patch expansion and coalescence. If these conditions hold more generally, they may represent a feedback mechanism that facilitates the lateral propagation of soil erosion in high‐latitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zooarcheological analysis shows that there is an overabundance of seabird wings recovered from Viking Age archeological sites in Iceland, especially when the rest of the body is considered. Cultural choices seem to be driving this differential. By comparing two species of alcids to ptarmigan, primarily recovered from domestic middens, the overabundance of specific bones suggests differences in bird butchery and use strategies. The data come from nine sites: one from Þjórsárdalur, five from Skagafjörður, and three from Mývatnssveit. Alcid wings, particularly proximal bones, are disproportionately recovered, while ptarmigan are generally represented by more legs than expected. By several metrics, the statistical significance of these patterns is dramatic and leads to the conclusion that alcid wings are discarded more frequently than other body parts. The simplest explanation for this pattern is that it is a result of the availability of each of the birds, which ultimately affects the way they are processed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the adoption of board gender quotas in several countries, little is known about the views on quotas outside the boards. In this article, we expand the dialogue about gender quotas by examining managers' arguments (justice and utility) for quotas as a measure to increase gender balance in top‐level managements. Drawing on a survey of 504 men and women managers in 244 of Iceland's largest companies, we show that social‐justice arguments and utility arguments make a stronger case for gender quotas than individual‐justice arguments. By highlighting the gendered context of arguments and expectations for further influence of gender quotas, we show that men managers' emphasis on liberal individualism and the lack of approval of quotas may hinder more organizational gender equality. We argue for the need to focus on organizational factors and top managers' responsibilities to support further gender balance in top‐level managements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compositions of volcanic materials are sensitive to physical conditions in the underlying magmatic system. When basaltic melts are saturated in olivine‐plagioclase‐augite prior to eruption, their compositions can be used to estimate the pressure at which they last equilibrated. We developed PyOPAM, an open‐source tool that runs in Python, and use this refreshed liquid‐barometer to investigate the relationship between final depths of magma storage and magma flux. We first tested PyOPAM using 312 experimental glasses compiled from literature and found that the 1σ uncertainty is 1.13 kbar (±3 km). PyOPAM was then applied to a data set of 13,400 analyses from Iceland, where suspected controls on magma flux are well constrained. Of these, 3807 analyses return robust pressure estimates, constraining final pre‐eruptive magma storage depths for 23 of the 30 Icelandic volcanic systems. Our results indicate that magma storage pressures on Iceland are linked to melt‐flux from the mantle. This finding is consistent with previous models linking storage depths and spreading rates on the global mid‐ocean ridge system. In addition, we provide clear evidence that the magma flux, rather than spreading rate alone, is the key control on the distribution of melt at spreading centers. Increased melt flux is associated with shoaling of pre‐eruptive storage depths, indicating that mantle melt fluxes dictate the long‐term stabilization of extensive magmatic storage regions at depths shallower than 10 km. Quantitative relationships between mantle melt flux and storage depths can be used to test computational models of transcrustal magmatic systems. Plain Language Summary: An important part of monitoring volcanoes is understanding where magma is stored before an eruption. Some individual volcanic systems have been rigorously studied and their plumbing systems are well understood. However, the overall physical controls on the depths of magma storage under volcanic systems are not yet resolved. In a free python script (PyOPAM), we refreshed and streamlined a basaltic liquid barometer, that allows us to estimate the final depth of storage for a basaltic magma, ±1.13 kbar. We applied this tool to basaltic samples from Iceland. Of the original 13,400 analyses entered into PyOPAM, 3800 returned reliable estimates. We find that there is a relationship between the amount of magma being produced and moving through an area, and the final depth of storage for basaltic magma before eruption. With increasing magma production, magma storage depths decrease and shift into the shallow crust. When magma production is low, basaltic magma is stored in the lower crust or mantle. This pattern is modified by the temperature of the crust, as cold crust prevents shallow storage of basaltic magma. These findings can be applied to other basaltic volcanoes and magma systems throughout the world. Key Points: We created pyOPAM, a python script for applying the OPAM barometer to basaltic liquidsUsing statistical filters we constrained the uncertainty to 1 σ of this barometer to 1.13 kbarWe applied pyOPAM to Icelandic samples and find that final depths of basaltic magma storage is controlled by magma flux [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iceland contains active dust regions within high‐latitude, cold‐climate environments. An abundant supply of particulates <10 μm in diameter (PM10) is available within its extensive glacial outwash plains and through widespread transport and deposition of volcanic ash with hydrophobic tendencies. The climate is notably wetter than dust regions located in hot deserts, so that additional processes governing dust emission must be considered, inclusive of rain splash. Field workers in Iceland report that dust emission events sometimes overlap with precipitation. This study used high‐speed photography in wind tunnel experiments to assess the influence of water droplet impact and wind shear on the detachment and suspension of particulates collected from several active dust source regions within Iceland. Concentrations of PM10 sampled downwind of a single water droplet impact reached values as high as 104 μg m−3 and were positively correlated with increasing wind speed, droplet impact velocity and angle. Our measurements demonstrate that wind shear in a turbulent flow is important for the dispersion of aerosols ejected via water droplet impact from the surface of dry sediment, and that these coincident mechanisms can be highly effective agents of erosion, especially in light winds that are normally incapable of dust entrainment. Foremost, this study provides further evidence of the complexity of dust emission in cold environments and the importance of examining this phenomenon over a wide range of temporal and spatial scale. Plain Language Summary: Iceland contains some of the largest and most active dust sources in the Subarctic region, with the frequency of dust emission events increasing in the wake of catastrophic volcanic eruptions, such as the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Icelandic climate is notably wetter than dust regions in hot deserts; therefore, additional processes governing dust emission must be considered, such as raindrop impact. Field workers in Iceland suggest that the onset of precipitation occasionally triggers dust emissions. The present study used state‐of‐the‐art, high‐speed photography and nephelometry in laboratory bench‐top and wind tunnel experiments to address to understand near‐surface PM detachment and dispersion in still air and freestream winds at 2, 4, 6, and 8 ms−1. In the wind tunnel experiments described in this work, PM10 concentrations were measured from an emerging splash structure ejected by a single water droplet impact on a bed surface of a volcanic ash sample obtained from an Icelandic field site known to experience severe wind erosion, dust resuspension, and therefore, poor air quality. Further experiments were performed on a bench top for the same volcanic ash, and three other Icelandic dust samples also selected from Icelandic field sites known to experience severe wind erosion. Key Points: Particulate matter concentration shows a positive correlation with increasing wind speed as well as droplet impact velocity and angleThe interaction between the water droplet ejection and wind shear enhances dispersion and entrainment within the evolving splash structureThe cross‐section of the splash structure rapidly expands downwind of the impact site and persists for several milliseconds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iceland's oldest silicic rocks provide unique insight into the island's early crustal evolution. We present new zircon U‐Pb ages bolstered with zircon trace element and isotopic compositions, and whole rock Nd, Hf, and Pb isotope compositions, from three silicic magmatic centers—Hrafnsfjörður, Árnes, and Kaldalón—to understand the petrogenesis of large silicic volcanic centers in the northern Westfjords, Iceland. Our data confirm Hrafnsfjörður as the oldest known central volcano in Iceland (∼14 Ma) and establish an older age for Árnes (∼13 Ma) than previously estimated. We also report the first U‐Pb zircon dates from Kaldalón (∼13.5 Ma). Zircon oxygen isotope compositions range from δ18O∼+2 to +4‰ and indicate involvement of a low‐18O component in their source magmas. Hrafnsfjörður zircon Hf (mean sample εHf ∼ +15.3–16.0) and whole rock Hf and Nd (εHf = +14.5 to +15; εNd = +7.9 to +8.1) isotopic compositions are more radiogenic than those from Árnes (zircon sample εHf ∼ +11.8–13; whole rock εHf = +12.8 to +15.1; εNd = +7.3 to +7.7), but Hrafnsfjörður whole rock Pb isotope compositions (208/204Pb = 37.95–37.96; 206/204Pb = 18.33–18.35) are less radiogenic than those from Árnes (208/204Pb = 38.34–38.48; 206/204Pb = 18.64–18.78). Kaldalón has zircon Hf isotope compositions of εHf∼+14.8 and 15.5 (sample means). These age and isotopic differences suggest that interaction of rift and plume, and thus the geodynamic evolution of the Westfjords, is complex. Isotopic compositions of Hrafnsfjörður and Árnes support involvement of an enriched mantle (EM)‐like mantle component associated with a pulsing plume that resulted in variable spreading rates and magma fluxes and highlight the heterogeneity of the Icelandic mantle. Plain Language Summary: Iceland's oldest silicic rocks provide unique insight into the island's early crustal evolution. We present data from the trace mineral zircon, as well as whole rock Nd, Hf, and Pb isotope compositions, from three silicic magmatic centers—Hrafnsfjörður, Árnes, and Kaldalón—to understand the mechanisms of magma formation in the northern Westfjords, Iceland. Our data confirm Hrafnsfjörður as the oldest known central volcano in Iceland (∼14 Ma) and establish an older age for Árnes (∼13 Ma) than previously estimated. We also report the first dates from Kaldalón (∼13.5 Ma). Zircon oxygen isotope compositions suggest that silicic magmas in this area form from incorporation of at least a minor amount of pre‐existing crust material. Isotopic compositions from Hrafnsfjörður and Árnes differ significantly, despite those volcanoes being only ∼30 apart. The age and isotopic differences suggest that interaction of the Icelandic rift system and the Iceland mantle plume, and thus the geodynamic evolution of the Westfjords, is complex and doesn't follow a simple rifting scenario. Isotopic compositions of Hrafnsfjörður and Árnes rocks support involvement of an enriched mantle (EM)‐like mantle component associated with a pulsing plume that resulted in variable spreading rates and magma fluxes and highlight the heterogeneity of the Icelandic mantle. Key Points: Zircon and whole rock data provide new insight on petrogenesis of some of the oldest silicic rocks in Iceland produced by a variety of—and in many cases, a combination of—processesThese data highlight nuances that suggest the geodynamic evolution of the Westfjords may be more complicated than previously proposedIsotopic compositions support involvement of an enriched‐mantle‐like component and a pulsing plume and highlight mantle heterogeneity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beginning, peak and end of the eclipse are marked as in Figure 4. gl Surface air temperature averaged from 254 MMS sites shows a marked reduction in the rate of increase of temperature around the time of peak eclipse (Figure 6a). In addition, the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded every 10min were also available for many of these sites, so we were alternatively able to quantify the temperature decrease based on the highest temperature between 0830 and 0930 utc (near the start of the eclipse) and the lowest temperature between 1000 and 1100 utc (around the eclipse peak). Iceland Conditions here too were generally cloudy during the eclipse (Table S3), but the eclipse magnitude was much larger than over the British Isles, being typically ~70% magnitude or ~60% coverage of the solar disk at peak eclipse (Figure 1). Also, all of the nine sites with relatively less cloud cover had significant changes in cloud cover during the eclipse, so were not a suitable subset to use for studying the eclipse influence on surface air temperature. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: The aim of the study was to test the psychometric properties of the Facilitative Student–Patient Relationship (FSPR) Scale in clinical practicum in hospital settings within six European countries. Design: A multi‐country, cross‐sectional survey design was applied. Methods: A convenience sample of graduating nursing students (N = 1,796) completed the FSPR Scale. Psychometric testing was carried out through explorative factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Both validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed. The explorative factor analysis yielded a two‐factor construct explaining 47.7% of the total variance, identifying two sub‐scales: caring relationship and learning relationship. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two‐factor structure. The Cronbach alpha coefficients (0.8–0.9) indicated acceptable reliability of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding injection‐induced microseismicity in geothermal systems can provide insight into reservoir connectedness. However, fault and reservoir complexity are difficult to represent in simple analytical models, which makes it difficult to discern clear relationships from incidental associations. Here, we have used data‐driven models to study how fluid injection and microseismicity are related in the Rotokawa (New Zealand) and Hellisheiði (Iceland) geothermal fields. We tested two classes of model: (a) lagged linear regression of seismicity rate as a function of well injection rates; and (b) systematic extraction of injection time series features that are then evaluated for associations with the seismicity. These models allowed us to determine which wells had the greatest correlation with microseismicity and to explain this association in a reservoir context. Finally, exploring different data types and transformations, we were unable to establish a link between rapid changes in injection rate and seismicity spikes, as suggested by some theoretical models. Plain Language Summary: To better understand the small earthquakes triggered in geothermal fields, we used two kinds of data‐driven models: time series feature engineering (a machine learning method) and the non‐negative linear regression method. We applied these techniques to microearthquakes recorded in the Rotokawa geothermal field, New Zealand, and the Húsmúli reinjection area in the Hellisheiði field, Iceland. We searched for associations and patterns hidden within the noisy injection and seismicity data. These patterns are further complicated by the complex injection schedules that involve several wells that switch off and on over time. We found a stronger association between injection and long‐term microseismicity rate as opposed to short‐term fluctuations driven by noise. We showed that particular injection wells are strongly associated with the microseismicity, which we interpret in terms of reservoir connectedness and stress changes in the rock. We found that injection rate and volume are the most useful data for understanding microseismicity, whereas there was no evidence that rapid injection rate changes triggered seismicity at these two locations. Key Points: Relative associations of geothermal wells with seismicity rate are evaluated using regression analysis and time series feature engineeringReservoir operational changes such as injection transfers between wells can affect the association between wells and microseismicityThere is a stronger correlation between injection and long‐term seismicity rate than short‐term seismicity rate at Rotokawa and Hellisheiði site [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Barmur Group (informally Tjörnes beds) sedimentary succession of northern Iceland is key to reconstructing the opening of the Bering Strait oceanic gateway because these rocks record migration of bivalve molluscs from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the Arctic. However, the timing of the migration event is poorly constrained owing to a lack of reliable absolute ages. To address this problem, we present the first Ar‐Ar radiometric dates from four basaltic lavas that underlie, are intercalated with, and overlie the Barmur Group, and integrate them with existing paleomagnetic records. We show that the Barmur Group has a latest Miocene to early Pliocene age range (c. 6.0–4.4 Ma; C3r–C3n.2n), older than all previous age models. Thus, the Barmur Group does not record the mid‐Piacenzian Warm Period, contra some previous suggestions. Abundant Pacific bivalve molluscs appeared in the Barmur Group during subchrons C3n.4n–C3n.3r at 5.235–4.896 Ma, over 1.3 million years earlier than previously suggested. Appearance of Pacific bivalves in the northern Atlantic occurred shortly after the 5.6–5.4 Ma age previously inferred for first appearance of Arctic bivalves in the Pacific. Thus, our data suggest that first opening of the Bering Strait gateway by the latest Miocene (c. 5.5 Ma) was soon followed by bidirectional trans‐Arctic faunal exchange, and argue against a hypothesized two‐stage faunal exchange process spanning c. 2 million years. Our results also confirm that first opening of the Bering Strait gateway was not directly associated with the growth of large northern hemisphere icesheets, which occurred several million years later. Plain Language Summary: The extent to which global climate change is influenced by the flow of seawater between the world's oceans is an important question in Earth science. Sedimentary rocks from the Tjörnes Peninsula in northern Iceland record the opening of the Bering Strait oceanic gateway, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans via the Arctic. The signature of this gateway opening event is the sudden appearance in Iceland of bivalve mollusc fossils that previously lived only in the Pacific Ocean. However, the timing of their arrival is uncertain owing to the lack of reliable age measurements. To solve this problem, we applied radioisotope dating methods to a succession of rocks called the Barmur Group from the Tjörnes Peninsula. We found that the sudden appearance of Pacific fossils occurred over a million years earlier than previously thought. Our data show that first opening of the Bering Strait gateway was soon followed by migration of marine faunas in both directions, in contrast to the existing hypothesis that Pacific‐to‐Atlantic migration significantly post‐dated Atlantic‐to‐Pacific migration. Our results also confirm the hypothesis that establishment of the Pacific‐Arctic‐Atlantic oceanic connection did not directly trigger development of large northern hemisphere icecaps, which occurred several million years later. Key Points: New Ar‐Ar dating shows a late Miocene to early Pliocene (6.0–4.4 Ma) age range for the Barmur Group (Tjörnes beds), northern IcelandArrival of Pacific bivalves in Iceland is dated at 5.2–4.9 Ma (chrons C3n.4n–C3n.3r), soon after first Bering Strait opening at 5.6–5.4 MaOpening of the Bering Strait gateway did not directly cause the development of large northern hemisphere icecaps [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Molecular Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drumlins are important bedforms of former glaciated landscapes as they demonstrate past ice‐flow directions and elucidate processes that operated at the ice/bed interface. Recently mapped drumlins and other streamlined subglacial bedforms in northeast Iceland reveal the flow‐sets of cross‐cutting palaeo‐ice streams that were active within the Iceland Ice Sheet (IIS) during and following the Last Glacial Maximum. Here we study the Bustarfell drumlin field within the Vopnafjörður–Jökuldalsheiði flow‐set. The internal architecture of two drumlins was investigated using sedimentological analysis and ground‐penetrating radar (GPR, 50 and 100 MHz) to illuminate subglacial processes that contributed to drumlin formation, as well as the history and dynamics of the IIS. On the stoss side of one of the drumlins, two subglacial traction till units were identified, separated by a thick unit of deformed glaciofluvial sand and gravel. The core of glaciofluvial material suggests that the drumlin formed around well‐drained patches (sticky spots) in the subglacial bed that retarded the ice flow locally through increased basal drag and encouraged till deposition. Furthermore, our GPR data indicate a combination of erosional and depositional processes. We suggest that the glaciofluvial sediments were deposited as small ice‐marginal fans on the Bustarfell plateau, possibly during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial, and that the drumlins were formed around these fans during a subsequent readvance during the Younger Dryas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The level of cartilage acidic protein 1 (CRTAC1) in plasma was recently discovered to be associated with osteoarthritis (OA) risk and progression to joint replacement in Iceland. This study was undertaken to validate these findings in an independent population. Methods: In this study, 1,462 plasma proteins were measured in 54,265 participants from the UK Biobank on the Olink Explore platform. We analyzed the association of plasma proteins with prevalent OA, incident OA, and progression to joint replacement. We assessed the specificity of OA association through comparison of associations with inflammatory joint diseases and with previous joint replacement. Results: The CRTAC1 protein showed the strongest association with prevalent knee OA (odds ratio [OR] 1.34 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.27, 1.41]) and was associated with hip OA (OR 1.19 [95% CI 1.11, 1.28]). It predicted incident diagnosis of OA in the knee (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40 [95% CI 1.35, 1.46]) and hip (HR 1.25 [95% CI 1.19, 1.31]), as well as progression to joint replacement (HR 1.20 [95% CI 1.08, 1.33] for the knee and HR 1.22 [95% CI 1.08, 1.38] for the hip), while no association was found with inflammatory joint diseases. Individuals in the highest quintile of risk based on CRTAC1 level, age, sex, and body mass index had a 10‐fold risk of knee or hip OA within 5 years compared to those in the lowest quintile. Adding aggrecan core protein (ACAN) and neurocan core protein (NCAN) to the model improved the prediction of OA but not joint replacement. Furthermore, we replicated the association of CUB domain–containing protein 1 with prior joint replacement. Conclusion: Plasma CRTAC1 is a specific biomarker for OA and a predictor of OA risk and progression to joint replacement. Adding ACAN and NCAN protein levels to the CRTAC1 model improved the prediction of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether the raw material productivity, export intensification, and environmental‐related technologies in the Nordic region (i.e., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) drives the region's carbon neutrality target. By adopting both symmetric and asymmetric empirical approaches over the period 1990–2019, the study found that positive and negative shifts in environmental‐related technologies mitigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region with the former causing a larger impact. Furthermore, the findings reveal that a positive shift in raw material productivity mitigates GHG emissions while a negative shift in raw material productivity causes a surge in GHG emissions especially in the long‐run. Moreover, a positive (negative) shift in export intensity yields a decline (upsurge) in GHG emissions in the long‐run. In the symmetric framework, in both long‐ and short‐run, the result reveals that economic growth upsurges GHG emissions while raw material productivity for green growth and environmental‐related technologies mitigates GHG emissions. This demonstrates the efficient raw material productivity profile of the Nordic countries. Alongside the Granger causality inference, the result further informs that energy intensity is crucial to curbing GHG emissions in the region. Thus, the result from the study offers relevant policy instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping and sampling four sections of the slow‐spreading Reykjanes Ridge provide insight into how tectonic and volcanic activity varies with distance from the Iceland plume. The studied areas are characterized by significant variations in water depth, lava chemistry, crustal thickness, thermal structure, and ridge morphology. For each study area, fault pattern and dimension, tectonic strain, seamount morphology, and density are inferred from 15 m‐resolution bathymetry. These observations are combined with geochemical analysis from glass samples and sediment thickness estimations along Remotely Operated Vehicle‐dive videos. They reveal that (a) tectonic and volcanic activity along the Reykjanes Ridge, do not systematically vary with distance from the plume center. (b) The tectonic geometry appears directly related to the deepening of the brittle/ductile transition and the maximum change in tectonic strain related to the rapid change in crustal thickness and the transition between axial‐high and axial valley (∼59.5°N). (c) Across‐axis variations in the fault density and sediment thickness provide similar widths for the neo‐volcanic zone except in regions of increased seamount emplacement. (d) The variations in seamount density (especially strong for flat‐topped seamounts) are not related to the distance from the plume but appear to be correlated with the interaction between the V‐shape ridges (VSR) flanking the ridge and the ridge axis. These observations are more compatible with the buoyant upwelling melting instability hypothesis for VSR formation and suggest that buoyant melting instabilities create many small magma batches which by‐pass the normal subaxial magmatic plumbing system, erupting over a wider‐than‐normal area. Plain Language Summary: Volcanic eruptions and faults growth are two important geologic processes taking place along seafloor spreading centers. Their variations in space and time are displayed in the morphology of the spreading centers. Investigating these morphological variations is key to understanding the deeper processes of the oceanic crust formation. South of Iceland, the Reykjanes Ridge is the location of increased volcanism due to the interaction between the mid‐ocean ridge and the Iceland hotspot. Using high‐resolution seafloor topographic data, chemical analyses of volcanic rock, and videos of the seafloor from a remotely operated vehicle, we investigated how volcanism and faulting change along the ridge. The increase in fault dimensions (height, length) with distance from the plume center is probably the result of the crust and mantle becoming cooler and stiffer and thus able to support larger faults. Fault density and thickness of the sediment covering the lava flows near the ridge axis are used to delimit the region of young volcanism. Seamounts often emplaced beyond that region. A peak in seamount abundance near 60°N suggests that the thick crust here is generated from numerous small batches of magma possibly resulting from a migrating instability in the melt production process beneath the axis. Key Points: The distance from the plume center is not the only factor controlling tectonic and volcanic activity along the Reykjanes RidgeFault dimensions are primarily controlled by the variation of crustal thermal structure with distance from the hotspotFlat‐topped seamount abundances peak where a V‐shaped ridge intersects the axis, consistent with a buoyant upwelling melting instability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police work may expose officers to various circumstances that have potential for increasing their risk of cancer, including traffic‐related air pollution, night shift work and radiation from radars. In this study, we examined the incidence of cancer among Nordic male and female police officers. We utilize data from the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) project, which linked census data on occupations from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to national cancer registries for the period 1961 to 2005. We report standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of selected cancers for each country by sex, age and calendar period. The cohort included 38 523 male and 1998 female police officers. As compared with the general population, male police officers had a 7% (95% CI: 4‐9%) excess cancer risk, with elevated SIRs for various cancer sites, including prostate (SIR 1.19, 1.14‐1.25), breast (SIR 1.77, 1.05‐2.80), colon (SIR 1.22, 1.12‐1.32) and skin melanoma (SIR 1.44, 1.28‐1.60). Conversely, male police officers had a lower risk of lung cancer than the general population (SIR 0.72, 0.66‐0.77). In female police officers, the SIR for cancer overall was 1.15 (0.98‐1.34), and there was a slight excess of cancers of the breast (SIR 1.25, 0.97‐1.59) and colon (SIR 1.21, 0.55‐2.30). In conclusion, cancer incidence among the police officers was slightly higher than in the general population. Notably, SIRs were elevated for cancer sites potentially related to night shift work, namely colon, breast and prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosses are among the first colonizing organisms after glacier retreat and can develop into thick moss mats during later successional stages. They are key players in N2 fixation through their microbiome, which is an important process for nutrient buildup during primary succession. How these moss–microbe interactions develop during succession is not well studied and is relevant in the light of climate change and increased glacier retreat. We examined how the bacterial communities associated with two moss species of the genus Racomitrium and the underlying soil, as well as moss traits and nitrogen fixation, develop along a successional gradient in the glacier forefield of Fláajökull in southeast Iceland. In addition, we tested whether moss functional traits, such as total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, moss moisture content, and moss shoot length are drivers of moss and underlying soil bacterial communities. Although time since deglaciation did not affect TN and moss moisture contents, TC and shoot length increased with time since deglaciation. Moss and underlying soil bacterial communities were distinct. While the soil bacterial community structure was driven by moss C/N ratios, the moss bacterial community structure was linked to time since deglaciation, moss C/N ratio, and moss moisture content. Moss N2‐fixation rates were linked to bacterial community composition and nifH gene abundance rather than moss TN or time since deglaciation. This was accompanied by a shift from autotrophic to heterotrophic diazotrophs. Overall, our results suggest that there is little lateral transfer between moss and soil bacterial communities and that moss traits affect moss and soil bacterial community structure. Only moss bacterial community changed with time since deglaciation. In addition, moss N2‐fixation rates are determined by bacterial community structure, rather than moss traits or time since deglaciation. This study on the interplay between succession, mosses, soils, and their bacterial communities will inform future work on the fate of newly exposed areas as a result of glacier retreat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the decadal evolution of ventilation and anthropogenic carbon (Cant) in the Nordic Seas between 1982 and the 2010s. Ventilation changes on decadal timescale are identified by evaluating decadal changes in mean ages and apparent oxygen utilization in each of the four main basins of the Nordic Seas (the Greenland and Iceland Seas, and the Norwegian and Lofoten Basins). The ages are derived from the transient time distribution approach, based on the transient tracers chlorofluorocarbon‐12 (CFC‐12) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The different decades show different phases in ventilation, with the 2000s being overall better ventilated than the 1990s in all basins. For the Greenland Sea, we also show that the 2010s are better ventilated than the 2000s, with a clear shift in hydrographic properties. The evolution of concentrations and inventory of Cant is linked to the ventilation state. The deep waters get progressively older over the analyzed period, which is connected to the increased fraction of deep water from the Arctic Ocean. Plain Language Summary: The ocean region between Greenland, Iceland, and Norway, called the Nordic Seas, is a main site of deep‐water formation. This process produces dense waters and brings surface waters to larger depths, thereby ventilating the water below. This transports, among other things, man‐made CO2 (anthropogenic carbon; Cant) and oxygen from the atmosphere into the interior ocean, thereby reducing the amount of CO2 stored in the atmosphere. This study investigates how the ventilation has changed in the Nordic Seas from 1982 to the 2010s. We find that the ventilation has changed with time, from a rather well‐ventilated state in 1982, to a reduced ventilation in the 1990s, and then a restrengthened ventilation from the 2000s. Key Points: Decadal means of mean age, apparent oxygen utilization, and anthropogenic carbon in the Nordic Seas main basins are presentedUpper and intermediate waters better ventilated from the 2000s, while deep waters get older with timeClear link between ventilation status and inventory of anthropogenic carbon [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article showcases tensions between local culture and wildlife conservation work. The community capitals framework is applied drawing specifically on cultural capital, natural capital, and economic capital for elucidation of notable insights. Five cases from across the world are leveraged to identify where and how culture and conservation can be reconciled to enhance the well‐being for humans and wildlife. The five cases include: Whaling in Iceland; elephants in Thailand; monk seals in Hawaii; koalas in Australia; and, wildlife in Alaska. The article demonstrates how different communities have and can shift values to view animals as co‐producers of well‐being rather than commodities. These communities can find ways to examine and take advantage of the intersections of economic, cultural, and natural capital. Moreover, the nature of how species are culturally defined as important is examined leaving many questions regarding power, ownership, and leadership in future sustainable development efforts including wildlife conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine cold‐air outbreaks (CAOs) are vigorous equatorward excursions of cold air over the ocean, responsible for the majority of wintertime oceanic heat loss from the subpolar seas of the North Atlantic. However, the impact of individual CAO events on the ocean is poorly understood. Here we present the first coupled observations of the atmosphere and ocean during a wintertime CAO event, between 28 February and 13 March 2018, in the subpolar North Atlantic region. Comprehensive observations are presented from five aircraft flights, a research vessel, a meteorological buoy, a subsurface mooring, an ocean glider, and an Argo float. The CAO event starts abruptly with substantial changes in temperature, humidity and wind throughout the atmospheric boundary layer. The CAO is well mixed vertically and, away from the sea‐ice edge, relatively homogeneous spatially. During the CAO peak, higher sensible heat fluxes occupy at least the lowest 200 m of the atmospheric boundary layer, while higher latent heat fluxes are confined to the surface layer. The response of the ocean to the CAO is spatially dependent. In the interior of the Iceland Sea the mixed layer cools, while in the boundary current region it warms. In both locations, the mixed layer deepens and becomes more saline. Combining our observations with one‐dimensional mixed‐layer modelling, we show that in the interior of the Iceland Sea, atmospheric forcing dominates the ocean response. In contrast, in the boundary current region lateral advection and mixing counteract the short‐term impact of the atmospheric forcing. Time series observations of the late‐winter period illustrate a highly variable ocean mixed layer, with lateral advection and mixing often masking the ocean's general cooling and deepening response to individual CAO events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A viruses (IAV) circulate endemically among many wild aquatic bird populations that seasonally migrate between wintering grounds in southern latitudes to breeding ranges along the perimeter of the circumpolar arctic. Arctic and subarctic zones are hypothesized to serve as ecologic drivers of the intercontinental movement and reassortment of IAVs due to high densities of disparate populations of long distance migratory and native bird species present during breeding seasons. Iceland is a staging ground that connects the East Atlantic and North Atlantic American flyways, providing a unique study system for characterizing viral flow between eastern and western hemispheres. Using Bayesian phylodynamic analyses, we sought to evaluate the viral connectivity of Iceland to proximal regions and how inter‐species transmission and reassortment dynamics in this region influence the geographic spread of low and highly pathogenic IAVs. Findings demonstrate that IAV movement in the arctic and subarctic reflects wild bird migration around the perimeter of the circumpolar north, favouring short‐distance flights between proximal regions rather than long distance flights over the polar interior. Iceland connects virus movement between mainland Europe and North America, consistent with the westward migration of wild birds from mainland Europe to Northeastern Canada and Greenland. Though virus diffusion rates were similar among avian taxonomic groups in Iceland, gulls play an outsized role as sinks of IAVs from other avian hosts prior to onward migration. These data identify patterns of virus movement in northern latitudes and inform future surveillance strategies related to seasonal and emergent IAVs with potential public health concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of benzodiazepines (BZ) and related drugs is subject to considerable debate due to problems with dependency and adverse events. We aimed to describe and compare their use across the Nordic countries. Data on the use of clonazepam, BZ‐sedatives, BZ‐hypnotics, and benzodiazepine‐related drugs (BZRD) in adults (≥20 years) were obtained from nationwide registers in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, 2000–2020. Main measures were therapeutic intensity (TI:DDD/1000 inhabitants [inhab.]/day) and annual prevalence (users/1000 inhab./year). Overall, TI of BZ and related drugs decreased in all Nordic countries from 2004 to 2020. However, there were considerable differences between countries in TI. In 2020, the TI of BZ and related drugs ranged from 17 DDD/1000 inhab./day in Denmark to 93 DDD/1000 inhab./day in Iceland. BZRD accounted for 55–78% of BZ use in 2020, followed by BZ sedatives at 20–44%, BZ‐hypnotics at <1–5%, and clonazepam at <1–2%. Annual prevalence of BZ use increased with age in all countries, and the highest annual prevalence was observed among people ≥80 years. Overall, the use of BZ and related drugs has decreased in all Nordic countries from 2004 to 2020, however, with considerable differences in their use between countries. The highest prevalence was observed among the oldest age groups—despite warnings against their use in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politics & Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Icelandic politics in 2021 were strongly dominated by two features: the ongoing struggle with Covid‐19 and the parliamentary election which took place on 25 September. Covid‐19 was in many ways the primary task of government throughout the year and, while criticism of various restrictions of personal freedoms grew louder as the year wore on, the situation remained relatively calm compared to most other countries. The parliamentary election was to a certain extent overshadowed by the pandemic crisis and the opposition parties in particular had a difficult time of finding a clear voice in a situation where expert rule was the norm and by far the most prominent part of the government agenda. After four years in power, the three‐way coalition of the Left‐Greens, Independence Party and Progressive Party was re‐elected in September, signalling a continuation of the partial return to stability which its formation in 2017 had signalled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microearthquakes reveal the kinematics of the Bárðarbunga caldera ring fault; during the 2014–2015 rifting event and gradual caldera collapse, and its subsequent, ongoing re‐inflation. Tightly constrained focal mechanisms during re‐inflation have reversed phase arrival polarities from events during the caldera collapse. Thus, the inner side of the steeply dipping northern caldera faults (averaging 81 ± 8°) has been moving upwards during the post‐eruptive period. Both precise relative relocations of the seismicity and fault plane solutions confirm that this is due to slip reversal on the same ring fault structure. Plain Language Summary: Bárðarbunga is a highly active volcano that lies beneath Iceland's Vatnajökull glacier. It last erupted for 6 months between August 2014 and February 2015—the largest eruption in Europe for 250 years—with tens of thousands of earthquakes. These earthquakes occurred in response to molten rock moving within the volcano. We analyzed the earthquakes to map active faults along the large bowl‐shaped depression that represents the volcano's caldera, and investigate the fault movements where they occur. We observed faulting on almost vertical faults around the edge of the volcano throughout 2014–2018, but in opposite directions during and after the eruption. During the eruption, the caldera floor moved downwards relative to the surrounding flanks of the volcano. After the eruption ended, the motion reversed and the caldera floor began to move back upwards. The downwards movement during 2014–2015 occurred as the molten rock—stored at a depth of about 6 km beneath the surface—moved laterally to feed the eruption over 40 km away from the volcano. We suggest that the ongoing upwards movement since the eruption ended is due to new molten rock accumulating beneath the volcano. Key Points: Fault motion reverses on the same fault structure between the eruptive and post‐eruptive periodsTightly constrained focal mechanisms show motion on steeply dipping faults [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Together, biological soil crust (BSC) and other cryptogamic groundcovers can contribute up to half of the global nitrogen (N) fixation. BSC also stabilizes the soil (reducing erosion and dust emissions), fixes carbon (C), retains moisture and acts as a hotspot of microbial diversity and activity. Much of the knowledge about how climate change is affecting the composition and functioning of BSC comes from hot arid and semiarid regions. The comparatively smaller body of research on BSC from cold and mesic environments has been primarily observational, for example along chronosequences after a glacier retreat. Few studies have experimentally investigated the effects of the environment on BSC from high latitudes. Such experiments allow unraveling of relationships at a resolution that can only be achieved by controlling for confounding factors. We measured short‐term (2–4 days) responses of a liverwort‐based Anthelia juratzkana BSC from the south of Iceland to a range of temperature, moisture and light conditions. Warming increased N fixation rates, especially when moisture was at a saturation level, and only when light was not limiting. A correlation analysis suggests that increases in N fixation rates were linked to cyanobacterial abundance on the BSC surface and to the rates of their metabolic activity. Warming and moisture changes also induced compositional and structural modification of the bacterial community, with consequences at the functional level. In contrast to many observations on BSC from hot drylands, the BSC from our cold and mesic study site is more limited by low temperature and light than by moisture. Our findings show possible ways in which BSC from cold and mesic ecosystems can respond to short‐term manifestations of climate change, such as increasingly frequent heat waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geysers are among the most fascinating geological features on Earth. Yet, little is still known about their hydrogeological structure at depth. To shed light on the spatial relationships between the vertical conduits and the aquifers feeding them, we conducted a 3D geoelectrical campaign in the Haukadalur hydrothermal field, Iceland. We deployed 24 Iris Fullwavers across the hydrothermal field and inverted resistivity and chargeability measurements. Additionally, we measured temperature variations inside Strokkur and Great Geysir geysers showing temperature fluctuations pointing out the oscillatory behavior that characterizes the geysering cycle of the geysers. By combining a semi‐quantitative temperature distribution of the thermal springs across the hydrothermal field with the inversion of the geoelectrical data, we highlight the control that extensional tectonics have on the distribution of fluids across the hydrothermal field. We also point out the occurrence of a common deep groundwater reservoir feeding the hydrothermal centers. Induced polarization data show that the geysers are fed by sub‐vertical water‐filled fracture zones. The geysers are found at the margins of highly resistive regions where we speculate boiling groundwater and vapor is found. Our proposed model suggests that local waters feeding the main groundwater reservoir downwell from the nearby region and then convect upwards, phase transitioning into vapor at about 200 m depth. From here, fluids flow toward the surface through pipes cutting a highly pressurized and hot system. This study shows to the best of our knowledge the first full 3D tomographic image of a hydrothermal field hosting geysers. Plain Language Summary: Geysers are erupting jets of boiling waters. Despite being one of the most fascinating geological processes on Earth, little is still known about their plumbing system at depth. To investigate the 3D geological structure of the Haukadalur hydrothermal field in Iceland, we injected electrical current into the ground and recorded the voltage across the hydrothermal field caused by such an injection. The measured voltage is proportional to the resistive structure of the hydrothermal field where the roots of the Strokkur and Great Geysir geysers are located. We also lowered thermometers into the geyser's conduits to measure temperature variations during geysering cycles. Our multidisciplinary study has shown the occurrence of a fault system along which the hydrothermal fluids are focused. We believe that the shallow hydrothermal springs are fed by a common reservoir at depth but we could not infer whether the two main geysers share the same reservoir. To the best of our knowledge our study shows the first 3D image of the structure of a geyser field. Key Points: 3D resistive structure of the geyser‐hosting Haukadalur hydrothermal fieldVapor‐saturated boiling reservoirs feeding geysers and hydrothermal pondsFluid flow controlled by local tectonics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]