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Abstract—The paper presents the results of a study showing that anomalies in the seismic regime parameters before earthquakes of various magnitudes occur in stages. The occurrence in stages means the correlation between the times of formation and development of anomalies in various seismic regime parameters. Earthquakes in regions with two general types of tectonics are selected for analysis: in the subduction zone (Kamchatka and Japan) and in the rift zone (Iceland). The selection of regions is primarily based on the availability and quality of regional seismic catalogs. GR b-value and the composite parameter known as the RTL are used as the seismic regime parameters. The detection of spatiotemporal anomalies before the selected earthquakes is based on the known "precursory patterns" of the seismic regime parameters. Comparing the durations of the detected anomalies shows that the anomalies of b-value generally occur earlier than the RTL anomalies. Possible reasons why the anomalies occur in stages are suggested. In the vicinity of the studied earthquakes, a change in the seismogenic rupture concentration parameter within the corresponding seismic cycles is also estimated. Comparing the times at which the detected seismic regime anomalies occur with the values of the seismogenic rupture concentration parameter corresponding to these times shows that the formation of seismic regime anomalies occurs at a stage when the system of seismogenic ruptures accumulated during the seismic cycle has almost reached its critical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—Over the whole area of the Eurasian lithospheric plate considered in the paper—from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean—the velocity vectors of the horizontal eastward displacements of GPS sites form a gentle, smooth, huge arc, convex towards the north. Three relatively narrow arc-shaped bands can be distinguished within the arc. The southernmost band, most provided with measurement data (referred to as a arc-shaped band A in this paper) is discussed in detail in (Shevchenko et al., 2021). The direct, real results of the published geodetic measurements have shown that the length of this band increases by 5 to 10 mm annually. The arc is lengthening. In the cited paper, we considered and rejected five interpretations of this lengthening, which involve the idea of external action on the rocks of the Earth's crust/lithosphere of this arc-shaped band. It is most likely that the elongation is caused by the internal process of the increase in the volume of rocks within the band due to the supply of additional mineral material by deep fluids and its subsequent crystallization. In this paper, we present the results of similar geodetic measurements in other two arc-shaped bands, B and C. It turns out that the arc-shaped band C located to the north of the other bands is lengthening (and at a similar rate), as is band A located to the south of the other bands. At the same time, the arc-shaped band B, which is located between bands A and C, is moving eastward without lengthening. Geodetic measurements in the axial part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge on the Iceland island suggest that the general expansion of the Atlantic Ocean and the corresponding eastward motion of the Eurasian lithospheric plate are associated with the injection of plastic magmatic wedges (of basic composition) in the axial, rift zone of the ridge. Against the background of this general eastward motion of the lithospheric plate, its constituent parts (whose markers are the arc-shaped bands A and C) are moving in the same eastward direction with a velocity increasing from west to east. We attribute this increase in the velocity and the corresponding lengthening of the two bands to the above inflow of the additional mineral material and its subsequent crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the few silver linings in the COVID pandemic has been a new appreciation for, interest in, and engagement with nature. As countries open, and travel becomes accessible again, there is an opportunity to reimagine sustainable nature-based tourism from a therapeutic landscape lens. Framed within the therapeutic landscape concept, this paper provides an autoethnographic account of a visitor's experience of three different natural landscapes in Iceland shortly after the country's fourth wave of the pandemic. It adds to the understanding of the healing effects of the multi-colored natural landscapes of Iceland. The natural landscapes of interest herein include: the southern part of the Westfjörd peninsula, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, and the Central Highlands. In totality, the natural, built and symbolic environments worked in synchronicity to produce three thematic results: restoration, awe and concern, all which provided reduced stress, renewed attention, as well as enhanced physical and psycho-social benefits for the autoethnographic visiting researcher. Implications of these restorative outcomes for sustainable nature-based tourism in a post-COVID era are discussed. This paper highlights how health and tourism geographers can work collaboratively to recognize, protect, and sustain the therapeutic elements of natural landscapes, recognized as a cultural ecosystem service. In so doing, such collaborations can positively influence sustainable nature-based tourism development and consumption through proper and appropriate planning and development of such tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the mathematical model of ecologist Anthony Ives which shows the fragility of midges to both natural and human-induced change. It notes that the mathematical model is the result of Ives' collaboration with researchers Arni Einarsson and Arnthor Gardarsson at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. It mentions that these researchers had been gathering data on the population density of the midges, Tanytarsus gracilentus, in Lake Myvatn. With this partnership, Ives cobbled the statistical tools for stock market activity and applied them to the field data gathered by the researchers.

A primary community prevention approach in Iceland was associated with strong reductions of substance use in adolescents. Two years into the implementation of this prevention model in Chile, the aim of this study was to assess changes in the prevalence of adolescent alcohol and cannabis use and to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the substance use outcomes. In 2018, six municipalities in Greater Santiago, Chile, implemented the Icelandic prevention model, including structured assessments of prevalence and risk factors of substance use in tenth grade high school students every 2 years. The survey allows municipalities and schools to work on prevention with prevalence data from their own community. The survey was modified from an on-site paper format in 2018 to an on-line digital format in a shortened version in 2020. Comparisons between the cross-sectional surveys in the years 2018 and 2020 were performed with multilevel logistic regressions. Totally, 7538 participants were surveyed in 2018 and 5528 in 2020, nested in 125 schools from the six municipalities. Lifetime alcohol use decreased from 79.8% in 2018 to 70.0% in 2020 (X2 = 139.3, p < 0.01), past-month alcohol use decreased from 45.5 to 33.4% (X2 = 171.2, p < 0.01), and lifetime cannabis use decrease from 27.9 to 18.8% (X2 = 127.4, p < 0.01). Several risk factors improved between 2018 and 2020: staying out of home after 10 p.m. (X2 = 105.6, p < 0.01), alcohol use in friends (X2 = 31.8, p < 0.01), drunkenness in friends (X2 = 251.4, p < 0.01), and cannabis use in friends (X2 = 217.7, p < 0.01). However, other factors deteriorated in 2020: perceived parenting (X2 = 63.8, p < 0.01), depression and anxiety symptoms (X2 = 23.5, p < 0.01), and low parental rejection of alcohol use (X2 = 24.9, p < 0.01). The interaction between alcohol use in friends and year was significant for lifetime alcohol use (β = 0.29, p < 0.01) and past-month alcohol use (β = 0.24, p < 0.01), and the interaction between depression and anxiety symptoms and year was significant for lifetime alcohol use (β = 0.34, p < 0.01), past-month alcohol use (β = 0.33, p < 0.01), and lifetime cannabis use (β = 0.26, p = 0.016). The decrease of substance use prevalence in adolescents was attributable at least in part to a reduction of alcohol use in friends. This could be related to social distancing policies, curfews, and homeschooling during the pandemic in Chile that implied less physical interactions between adolescents. The increase of depression and anxiety symptoms may also be related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The factors rather attributable to the prevention intervention did not show substantial changes (i.e., sports activities, parenting, and extracurricular activities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We would like to thank Geist et al. (Contrib Miner Petrol, 2023) for the opportunity to further discuss the arguments presented in our paper "Long or short silicic magma residence time beneath Hekla volcano, Iceland?" (Sigmarsson et al. Contrib Miner Petrol 177:13, 2022). The disagreement centers around the origin of the silicic magmas at Hekla, namely whether it is by (1) fractional crystallization and a long crustal residence time before eruption or (2) partial melting of altered basaltic crust and short transfer time to the surface. We disagree with the arguments presented by Geist et al. (Contrib Miner Petrol, 2023) against the model for the origin of dacite at Hekla from dehydration melting of amphibolite, a model that still explains most if not all results obtained so far on the Hekla magma suite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After more than a year of unrest, a small effusive eruption commenced in Fagradalsfjall, Iceland, on 19 March 2021. The eruption lasted six months. The first six weeks were characterized by multiple fissure openings, and the remainder was dominated by effusive activity from a single crater. During the eruption, lava and low-level gases propagated over the complex terrain: a hyaloclastite massif with mountain peaks up to about 350 m asl with valleys in between. The area is uninhabited, but easily accessible at about 30 km distance from Reykjavík. While the eruption was ongoing, more than 356,000 tourists visited the eruptive site. To maintain low risk access to the area, it was critical to monitor the eruption (including opening of new fissures) in real-time, forecast the transport of gas and lava flow emplacement, and assess the evolving hazards. In addition to data accessibility and interpretation, managing this volcanic crisis was possible thanks to strong collaboration between the scientific institutions and civil protection agencies. The eruption presented an opportunity to tune, test and validate a variety of numerical models for hazard assessment as well as to refine and improve the delivery of information to the general public, communities living near the eruption site and decision makers. The monitoring team worked long hours during both the pre- and syn-eruptive phases for identifying low risk access areas to the eruption site and to provide a regular flow of information. This paper reviews the eruption and its associated hazards. It also provides an overview of the monitoring setup, the adopted numerical tools and communication materials disseminated to the general public regarding current exclusion zones, hazards and possible future eruptive scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holuhraun fissure eruption (Iceland) in 2014–2015, which originated from the Bárðarbunga volcanic system, was exceptional in several respects. It lasted 6 months and, throughout its duration, it released up to 9.6 Mt of SO2 in the atmosphere. The main recorded hazard affecting the entire country over the 6 months was the constant presence of a low-level gas cloud that led to recurrent air pollution episodes. The Icelandic Meteorological Office responded to this human health hazard by (1) setting up a forecasting system to anticipate the distribution of SO2 over Iceland and (2) preparing probabilistic hazard maps to support the decisions taken by the Icelandic Civil Protection in demarcating the accessible area around the eruption site. This paper introduces some technical aspects of the application of the CALPUFF numerical model to this eruption like the SO2 dispersal forecasting setup, the volcanic source numerical description, and the Monte Carlo procedure adopted for the creation of the probabilistic hazard maps. CALPUFF-based maps were created in January 2015, when the eruption was still ongoing, with the assumption that the eruption would be continuing with the same intensity. Maps for the entire country and for a smaller domain were produced, the latter showing the likelihood to exceeding an hourly concentration of 2600 μg/m3 (1 ppm) of SO2 for the spring season, a level chosen by the Icelandic Civil Protection for the delineation of the area of restricted access around the eruption site. As during the eruption there was no time for a rigorous evaluation of the model accuracy, we then undertook a retrospective analysis of CALPUFF model performance comparing the forecasted hourly SO2 concentration with real-time measurements at key-sites. The model did reproduce the hourly observations (the maximum within a 24-running window) with a level of agreement of 50.6% in Mývatn (85 km from the eruption site) and 50.4% in Reykjavík (258 km), when instances of null pairs have been removed. In Mývatn, the model overestimated the concentration more than 22% of the time. In Höfn (104 km), the model accuracy is 81.7% and occurrences of underestimation are higher than 11% of the time. In Reyðarfjörður (at 124 km), the model accuracy is assessed to be 82.7% and the model overestimates occurring 15.1% of the time. Possible explanations for the observed mismatch between model results and measurements include the spatial resolution of meteorological data field, the capability into reproducing chemical reactions of SO2 in atmosphere, and the reduced extension of the numerical domain. In addition, the model performance is strongly dependent on the source descriptors (e.g., strength of the SO2 flux and injection height) that, in this contribution, have been kept constant over long periods—neglecting, in this way, the natural variability of a dynamic emission of SO2. This consideration points toward the need of frequent and high-quality observation data for the initialization of dispersal numerical model. In light of this retrospective analysis, the probabilistic hazard maps possibly over-estimated the area exposed to high level of SO2 concentration. All the same, this paper reports on how quantitative probabilistic hazard mapping can be used for mitigating the health risk of volcanic SO2 emissions during a volcanic crisis to the benefit of operational hazard monitoring in support an effective crisis response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports the results of reconstruction of the heliospheric modulation potential from radiocarbon data for the time interval from the mid-second millennium B.C. to the end of the first millennium A.D. It is known that significant climatic changes took place on the Earth during that time; specifically, the thickness of glaciers in Iceland and Norway were changing. Coincident changes are also observed in the radiocarbon data. The results of calculations show that the heliospheric modulation potential reaches a maximum (~590 MV) on this interval approximately in 1705 B.C. This suggests that solar activity at that moment was highest for the considered interval. Conversely, around 750 and 350 B.C., the smallest values of the modulation potential were observed and, consequently, solar activity could be lowest from the mid-second millennium B.C. to the end of the first millennium A.D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced seismicity is one of the main factors that reduces societal acceptance of deep geothermal energy exploitation activities, and felt earthquakes are the main reason for closure of geothermal projects. Implementing innovative tools for real-time monitoring and forecasting of induced seismicity was one of the aims of the recently completed COSEISMIQ project. Within this project, a temporary seismic network was deployed in the Hengill geothermal region in Iceland, the location of the nation's two largest geothermal power plants. In this paper, we release raw continuous seismic waveforms and seismicity catalogues collected and prepared during this project. This dataset is particularly valuable since a very dense network was deployed in a seismically active region where thousand of earthquakes occur every year. For this reason, the collected dataset can be used across a broad range of research topics in seismology ranging from the development and testing of new data analysis methods to induced seismicity and seismotectonics studies. Measurement(s) Seismic waveforms (seismograms) • Seismicity (Origin time, location and magnitude of earthquakes) Technology Type(s) Seismic stations (velocity sensors) • SeisComP data acquisition and processing system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper follows the lead of the increasing numbers of scholars utilizing the methods and theory of environmental archaeology within historical archaeology. This paper addresses the issue of 'modernity' in early modern Iceland through the analysis of faunal assemblages from historic sites in Iceland. It examines the idea of modernity through the ideas of commoditization of animals as well as the improvement of domestic animals as seen through these faunal assemblages. There are a number of possible faunal indications of processes associated with modernity in the existing historic assemblages of Iceland though at least some of these have deep roots in the medieval period. Examining the idea of modernity through the faunal assemblages of historic-period Iceland both help refine the idea of modernity as well as reveal the medieval roots of much of what we term 'modern'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation of earthquake damage to underground wastewater (sewage and drainage) pipelines and measured intensity measurements is described in this paper. The study is based on pipelines consisting primarily of segmented concrete pipes in Hveragerði, Iceland. This town experienced a Mw 6.3 earthquake on 29 May 2008, originated in its near field. Subsequently, the interior conditions of all the pipelines were thoroughly investigated by a robot camera. All the pipeline damage detected was analysed and documented. While damage in segmented pipelines is assumed to occur primarily at the joints due to axial ground strains, the predominant damage in Hveragerði was circular cracks at the centre zone of the pipe barrels. This suggests that (1) ground curvature plays a greater role in the seismic response of the pipelines, and (2) the stiffness and strength of the pipe barrel should be considered in a seismic analysis. The pipe damage observed in the sewage lines, close to the engineering bedrock, was half as much as the damage observed in the drainage lines resting on a thicker backfill material. A relationship between non-minor damage rates and the intensity measurements was observed for the drainage pipeline only, where the best overall correlation results were obtained for peak ground velocity. The commonly used fragility curves greatly underestimate the damage rate observed in the study area. This may apply to the potable water systems, where the majority of segmented pipelines consist of brittle pipes of cast iron, asbestos or concrete (HAZUS, NIBS 2003). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most recent in the continuing series of international conferences dedicated to charrs, Salvelinus species, was held in Reykjavik, Iceland 1–5 August 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the background, motivations and action plan for an extensive experiment with hydrogen (H) as an energy carrier in Iceland. The energy consumption of Iceland is described as well as the role of fossil fuel imports in the otherwise renewable energy scenario. The paper goes on describing the academic/political reasons for the drive towards the H economy experiment and the international consortium created to herald the work. Finally the paper describes the ongoing projects in Iceland and the anticipated development of H research and development in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anadromous Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus and sea trout Salmo trutta are commonly found in marine, estuarine and freshwater habitats across the Northern Hemisphere. The marine phase varies between populations but often involves summer foraging in nearshore waters while spawning and overwintering occur in freshwater. The dependence of anadromous salmonids on nearshore habitats makes them vulnerable to increased industrial activity, such as aquaculture developments, that may increase the risk of salmon lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infection. Lice infection in wild salmonids depends on farmed fish density but can also be correlated to environmental factors, including foraging ecology. In the current paper we examine niche use and trophic variation of co-occurring Arctic charr and sea trout in northwest Iceland, using stomach contents and stable isotope values of δ13C, δ15N and δ34S. We then test if these factors correlated to salmon lice infection. The salmonid species differed in niche use, for example, in time of marine foraging, with Arctic charr having a longer marine phase than was expected, and in the level of piscivory between both species. Moreover, we show that both environmental factors and individual trophic use are related to salmon lice infection in sea trout. This information may be useful in evaluating the risk and spatial management of sea farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use detailed data for Iceland to examine two often-neglected aspects of the exchange rate pass-through problem. First, we investigate whether the pass-through coefficient varies with the degree of international tradability of goods. Second, we analyze if the pass-through coefficient depends on the monetary policy framework. We consider 12 disaggregated price indexes in Iceland for 2003–2019, a period that includes Iceland's banking and currency crisis of 2008. We find that the pass-through declined around the time Iceland reformed its flexible inflation targeting, and that the coefficients are significantly higher for tradable than for nontradables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This article explores how individual-level attitudes towards the exchange of sexual services for payment differ between the Nordic countries. The sparse existing research points to gender and general attitudes towards sexual behavior as powerful predictors of attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment. However, there are no previous research agendas that attempt to explain variance in such attitudes including all the Nordic countries. Methods: We estimate regression models utilizing data from the joint Wave 5 European Values Study (EVS)/World Values Survey (WVS) Wave 7 (EVS 2017; WVS, 2020) asking about the acceptability of prostitution to predict attitudes towards the exchange of sexual services for payment in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Results: The findings point to considerable variation in attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment in the Nordic countries. The attitudinal differences align with how the different Nordic governments have approached the issue at hand. Moreover, the results suggest that gender and attitudes towards non-committal casual sex play a critical role in determining attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment. The impact of attitudes towards non-committal casual sex on attitudes towards the acceptability of exchanging sex for payment is different for women when compared to men in four of the five countries. Conclusions: The empirical results provide convincing evidence that women are less likely than men to translate liberal attitudes towards general sexual behavior into lenient attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment. Policy Implications: The results indicate that government policies play a crucial role in shaping public attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment, and policymakers should consider the potential impact of their stance on the issue. Policymakers and others who want to shift attitudes towards the exchange of sex for payment in the Nordic region should be cognizant of their interconnectedness with gender and attitudes towards non-committal casual sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the mobilities associated with the gathering and sorting of sheep within the community of Skútustarðarhreppur, northeast Iceland in the recent historic period. It examines the relationships between people, animals, and landscape in terms of their movements. It presents an argument based on examining the mobilities on the surface and in the depths of a continual, in-the-making landscape, and considers the dwelling of farmers and their movements in attending to sheep as both place-forming and identity-forming processes. I present a hypothetical gathering and sorting of sheep based on historical and archaeological sources and explore the relations that are formed on-the-move. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Danish trade monopoly of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries resulted in the implementation of strict regulations and controls on textile production, the introduction of weaving workshops equipped with new horizontal looms, and a deliberate attempt to phase out the production of homespun cloth on the warp-weighted loom. What was the fate of homespun cloth in this era of introduced industrialization in Iceland? Archaeological textile collections from Iceland's early modern period are abundant though understudied. This paper reports current research on these collections and suggests that homespun cloth did not die out in the late medieval period, but that it continued into the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, declining slowly thereafter. Moreover, homespun cloth of the early modern period evolved into something that was structurally different than its earlier medieval version, possibly in response to increased climatic fluctuations during the Little Ice Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have turned to things, it is argued in different contexts by social and cultural scholars. The previously neglected stuff of life is back and now deserves to be embraced and included in our histories and democracies. This paper discusses our efforts to include these others and seeks to reflect on how some of our gestures of inclusion may not be as humble and tolerant as we like to argue. With reference to an ongoing archaeological research of a recently abandoned herring station in Iceland's northwest the paper discusses how the archaeological remembering of this site, and its inclusion in historical narration, can in fact easily result in the active forgetting of things, their fragmented and discontinuous memory and their utter silence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iceland is like a black hole in the study of FDI from the Nordic countries; there is a gap in the literature about FDI from Iceland. This paper is the first empirical study that addresses the outward foreign direct investment of Icelandic firms. The purpose is to demonstrate how Icelandic companies have invested abroad through foreign direct investments. The overall objective of this paper is to describe the key characteristics of Icelandic multinational corporations (MNCs) and to gain a deeper understanding of the internationalization processes of firms with a small domestic base. Many Icelandic companies have been investing heavily abroad over the last six years. Some have acquired companies that are relatively larger than themselves, at least in terms of the number of employees. The main motive for this increase in foreign direct investments is access to a new market. The Icelandic market is simply not large enough for companies to be categorized as medium or large companies in the global environment. What also supports this is that, as mentioned above, the outflow of FD1 from Iceland was very low in the last century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' mathematical achievement in Iceland, as reported in PISA 2003, showed significant and (by comparison) unusual gender differences in mathematics: Iceland was the only country in which the mathematics gender gap favored girls. When data were broken down and analyzed, the Icelandic gender gap appeared statistically significant only in the rural areas of Iceland, suggesting a question about differences in rural and urban educational communities. In the 2007 qualitative research study reported in this paper, the authors interviewed 19 students from rural and urban Iceland who participated in PISA 2003 in order to investigate these differences and to identify factors that contributed to gender differences in mathematics learning. Students were asked to talk about their mathematical experiences, their thoughts about the PISA results, and their ideas about the reasons behind the PISA 2003 results. The data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using techniques from analytic induction in order to build themes and to present both male and female student perspectives on the Icelandic anomaly. Strikingly, youth in the interviews focused on social and societal factors concerning education in general rather then on their mathematics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the application of biogenetics in Iceland. It discusses the mapping concepts and strategies employed by deCode Genetics and the Biogenetic Project for the purpose of tracing the genetic background of a number of common diseases. The paper discusses two kinds of mapping involving genealogical and genetic data. The paper also argues that each of the two mapping cultures of genealogists and human geneticists has its own discourses and trajectories. However, the cartographies of genomes and genealogies illustrate the intensification of the medical gaze with the development of biotechnology and the medicalization of kinship.

I argue in this paper for a novel analysis of case in Icelandic, with implications for case theory in general. I argue that structural case is the manifestation on the noun phrase of features which are semantically interpretable on verbal projections. Thus, Icelandic case does not encode features of noun phrase interpretation, but it is not uninterpretable either; case is properly seen as reflecting (interpretable) tense, aspect, or Aktionsart features. Accusative case in Icelandic is available when the two subevents introduced in a transitive verb phrase are temporally identified with each other, and dative case is available when the two parts are distinct. This analysis bears directly on the theory of feature checking in the Minimalist Program. Specifically, it is consistent with a restrictive theory of feature checking in which no features are strictly uninterpretable: all formal features come in interpretable- uninterpretable pairs, and feature checking is the matching of such pairs, driven by legibility conditions at Spell-Out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the northern hemisphere, there are six permanent or semi-permanent atmospheric activity centers, namely the Icelandic Low, Aleutian Low, India Low, Mongolia High, North Pacific High, and North Atlantic High. The first four are semi-permanent action centers and the last two are permanent circulation systems. The India Low exists only during the summer. By using 160 years (1850-2009) of monthly mean sea level pressure data from the Hadley Centre in the UK, we conduct a comprehensive study of the five boreal winter atmospheric centers of action (ACAs). Based on a unified definition and a method determined in previous studies, we calculate the indices of areal coverage (S), intensity (P), and position of action center ( λ , φ ) for each of these five ACAs. Through an in-depth analysis of these indices and their relationships with climate variables, we evaluate the indices by describing and explaining areal climate anomalies, particularly precipitation and temperature anomalies in China. We show that (1) ACAs significantly influence the climate anomalies of surrounding areas (2) the influences of oceanic ACAs are larger and the intensity anomalies of ACAs have a greater impact than their location displacement, and (3) ACAs exert more control on temperature than they do on precipitation. For the two ACAs over the north Atlantic, the impacts of their intensities on the anomalies of temperature and precipitation are similar. For the two ACAs over the north Pacific, their influences are almost the opposite. The most influential ACA for climate anomalies in China during the boreal winter is HMO. When HMO is stronger, China has a colder winter and it is wetter in the north. With stronger ACAs in the upstream, i.e., the Icelandic Low and North Atlantic High, northern China has a warmer winter. The ACAs over the north Pacific exert little influence on climate anomalies in China during winter. The analyses presented in this paper provide a set of useful indices for defining and describing ACAs, and they suggest insightful applications for these indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose TrendSegment, a methodology for detecting multiple change-points corresponding to linear trend changes in one dimensional data. A core ingredient of TrendSegment is a new Tail-Greedy Unbalanced Wavelet transform: a conditionally orthonormal, bottom-up transformation of the data through an adaptively constructed unbalanced wavelet basis, which results in a sparse representation of the data. Due to its bottom-up nature, this multiscale decomposition focuses on local features in its early stages and on global features next which enables the detection of both long and short linear trend segments at once. To reduce the computational complexity, the proposed method merges multiple regions in a single pass over the data. We show the consistency of the estimated number and locations of change-points. The practicality of our approach is demonstrated through simulations and two real data examples, involving Iceland temperature data and sea ice extent of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Our methodology is implemented in the R package trendsegmentR, available from CRAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method to assess and quantify changes in performance states of systems. The method is based on survey data containing performance states graded in a suitable scale. The changes in performance states are modelled using an association matrix obtained as a frequency table of measured performance states before and after an influential incident. Performance deviation, for both negative effects induced by a harmful incident and positive effects due to a constructive incident, is modelled. Relative change in performance is quantified by defining loss and gain matrices. Hadamard products of loss/gain matrices and the association matrix obtained from survey data are used to quantify performance deviation matrices. Finally, the overall change in performance is defined in terms of a performance deviation index, which is obtained by using the sum of the elements of performance deviation matrices. This index can be negative, zero or positive, and its value represents the degree of change in performance. A negative index indicates loss in performance; a zero index implies no measurable change, and a positive index means a gain in performance. An example application of the presented methodology for earthquake-induced damage and the subsequent restoration of residential buildings in South Iceland is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mantle melt generation in response to glacial unloading has been linked to enhanced magmatic volatile release in Iceland and global eruptive records. It is unclear whether this process is important in systems lacking evidence of enhanced eruptions. The deglaciation of the Yellowstone ice cap did not observably enhance volcanism, yet Yellowstone emits large volumes of CO2 due to melt crystallization at depth. Here we model mantle melting and CO2 release during the deglaciation of Yellowstone (using Iceland as a benchmark). We find mantle melting is enhanced 19-fold during deglaciation, generating an additional 250–620 km3. These melts segregate an additional 18–79 Gt of CO2 from the mantle, representing a ~3–15% increase in the global volcanic CO2 flux (if degassed immediately). We suggest deglaciation-enhanced mantle melting is important in continental settings with partially molten mantle – including Greenland and West Antarctica – potentially implying positive feedbacks between deglaciation and climate warming. The retreat of the #Yellowstone ice cap reduced mantle pressures. Using models, we predict this enhanced mantle melting 19-fold, segregating a globally-significant mass of CO2 and potentially contributing to feedbacks between deglaciation and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term variation in the static stability of lower atmosphere (SSLA) in the Arctic Mediterranean is investigated using reanalysis data. Climatological SSLA is categorized into a high-value region (Polar Region) and two low-value regions in the Norwegian Sea (Region-A) and southern part of Iceland (Region-B). The variations of SSLA are divided into trends and oscillations. In the Polar Region, SSLA exhibited a decreasing trend due to Arctic warming and sea ice decline, with negligible oscillatory variations. In Region-A and Region-B, the trends of SSLA are insignificant, while the oscillatory variation becomes obvious. SSLA there are highly correlated to Arctic Oscillation (AO) Index and vertical velocity. The driving factors in weakening SSLA are vertical velocity and surface heating, related to enhanced warm water advection dominated by AO. The variation of SSLA in turn feeds back the vertical velocity and AO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the Earth's crust accommodates magma emplacement influences the signals that can be detected by monitoring volcano seismicity and surface deformation, which are routinely used to forecast volcanic eruptions. However, we lack direct observational links between deformation caused by magma emplacement and monitoring signals. Here we use field mapping and photogrammetry to quantify deformation caused by the emplacement of at least 2.5 km3 of silicic magma in the Reyðarártindur pluton, Southeast Iceland. Our results show that magma emplacement triggered minor and local roof uplift, and that magma reservoir growth was largely aseismic by piecemeal floor subsidence. The occurrence and arrangement of fractures and faults in the reservoir roof can be explained by magmatic overpressure, suggesting that magma influx was not fully accommodated by floor subsidence. The tensile and shear fracturing would have caused detectable seismicity. Overpressure eventually culminated in eruption, as evidenced by exposed conduits that are associated with pronounced local subsidence of the roof rocks, corresponding to the formation of an asymmetric graben at the volcano surface. Hence, the field observations highlight processes that may take place within silicic volcanoes, not accounted for in widely used models to interpret volcanic unrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging data suggest that certain adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with perinatal depression (PND). However, few studies have comprehensively assessed the cumulative number and types of ACEs and their association to PND. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 16,831 female participants from the Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort in Iceland, 2018. ACEs were surveyed with the World Health Organization ACE—International questionnaire, while PND symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (lifetime version). We, while adjusting for confounding factors, estimated the prevalence ratio (PR) of PND in relation to total number of ACEs using the Poisson quasi-likelihood model and further performed analyses for type-specific ACEs. At a mean age of 44 years (SD ± 11.1), 6,201 (36.8%) participants had experienced probable PND. Total number of ACEs was positively associated with PND (PR 1.11 per ACE, 95% CI: 1.10–1.11), also among women without any psychiatric comorbidities (PR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.11–1.14). PRs increased in a dose–response manner with the number of ACEs (P for trend < 0.001); women that endorsed 5 or more ACEs were twice as likely to have experienced PND (PR 2.24, 95% CI: 2.09–2.41). All ACE types (n = 13) were associated with PND, with most pronounced association for emotional neglect by a guardian (PR 1.53, 95% CI: 1.47–1.59). Our findings suggest a positive association between number of ACEs and PND symptoms. If our results are confirmed with prospective data, healthcare providers need to be alert of the risk of PND among expecting mothers with history of ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Old Norse name of the thunder god has the monosyllabic form Þórr in the extant manuscripts. However, one Eddic poem, Hymiskviða, and one skaldic poem, Þórsdrápa, have verses which metrically indicate a disyllabic form with a short first syllable, hypothetically restored as *Þóarr, *Þóurr, *Þonarr or *Þunurr. The existence of such a disyllabic form has been dismissed by recent editors who have resorted to conjectural emendations for the line in Þórsdrápa and mostly ignored the problem in Hymiskviða. When the metrical question is examined in detail, it becomes apparent that there is a great deal of evidence for a disyllabic form. Crucially, Hymiskviða is demonstrably a metrically rigorous poem and both its occurrences of the name Þórr are consistent with a disyllabic form and inconsistent with a monosyllabic form. It is implausible that this is a coincidence. In this case, as in many others, Old Norse poems give us information about linguistic forms which had gone out of use long before the extant manuscripts were written. This is important testimony on the transmission and preservation not only of skaldic poetry but also of Eddic poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes Professor Ambraseys's work on the quantification of magnitudes of the main events in the 1896 South Iceland earthquake sequence, using original teleseismic data recorded by primitive seismological instruments located in Russia and Italy. This includes an example of his original worksheets showing surface-wave magnitude re-appraisal along with the initial part of the parametric earthquake catalogue of Iceland. A brief description of the macroseismic effects of the earthquake sequence is presented. Earthquake damage to buildings in the most affected area is quantified as fractions of collapsed farmhouses. Spatial distribution of the quantified damage shows good correspondence to the estimated epicentres of the earthquakes of the sequence. The macroseismic effects of the earthquake sequence are described and compared to those of the South Iceland earthquakes in June 2000 and May 2008. It is argued that the magnitude estimate of the largest event of the sequence as obtained by Professor Ambraseys, based entirely on teleseismic measurements, is likely to be more accurate than other estimates based on the extent of the damaged area. This argument is supported by a discussion based on a comparison between the felt area, damaged area, and seismic moment estimates of the June 2000 earthquakes with the documented effects of the 1896 main shock. The observations and discussions presented here highlight the importance of Professor Ambraseys in the study of historic earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a common belief that economic crisis will lead to a decrease in subjective wellbeing. Previous studies indicate that income is correlated with happiness and unemployment with unhappiness. The relationship between increased income and happiness is well documented while the impact of decreased income has been less explored. The aim of this paper is to study how the economic downfall in Iceland, followed by reduced income and increased unemployment, affects happiness as well as to explore which groups are most vulnerable to changes in happiness and which are most resilient. The study is a longitudinal, nationally representative postal survey which assessed 5,918 individual's aged 18-79. A total of 4,092 (77.3%) answered again in 2009. The relationship between economic factors and happiness was explored using multiple linear regression to find out how much they explain of the happiness variance and the changes in happiness, together with demographic factors, health and social relationships. Results indicate that income and unemployment did not predict happiness but financial difficulties did. A decrease in happiness was detected after the collapse. The change in happiness from 2007 to 2009 was normally distributed, 40% had the same score in both years and an equal number increased as decreased. The explored factors did not explain the changes in happiness. The economic crisis had a limited affect on happiness. Those with financial difficulties were hardest hit. Changes in happiness need to be studied further since they are not well explained by the factors which influence cross-sectional levels of happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

March 20, 2010, in southern Iceland, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano began to erupt after almost 200 years of silence. Three weeks later, on April 14, a 500-m long fissure opened in the ice cap covering the volcano, ejecting molten lava and huge amounts of steam, volcanic ash, and toxic gases into the atmosphere. This produced a giant ash cloud, which disrupted air traffic across Europe for several days. This paper presents a description of the eruption and gives a brief review of the composition of volcanic lava and gases, as well as examples of the adverse effects of volcanic ash on humans and livestock in many Icelandic farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no doubt that as the world's population continues to grow and expand in hazardous environments, so too does our vulnerability to disaster. Researching disaster risk is therefore an ongoing challenge requiring a continual process of generating understanding of the changing environmental and societal characteristics that influence disaster vulnerability. Iceland, as the land of fire and ice, is of no exception. With a changing population, exponential growth in tourism and a volcanic eruption on average every 3–4 years, disaster risk research is of critical importance. Based on questionnaire survey results, interviews with key stakeholders and data derived from Statistics Iceland, this paper considers how residents might respond to a future eruption by examining their experience of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptions against the changing demographic, economic and political landscape. While authorities were pleased with public response to evacuation orders in 2010, some residents did not evacuate. The reasons for not evacuating were due to caring for others or thinking the warnings were not applicable. Yet, most residents showed respect for authority and acknowledged the necessity of the evacuations. The relatively small, homogenous population of Iceland coupled with its peoples' desire to cooperate contributed to this success. Within these communities, people are bound together by common beliefs, values and activities. However, the changing social landscape will test this phenomenon. In particular, the region's economic base is evolving from traditional farming practices to one that is increasingly reliant on tourism. Demographic changes most notably include greater international migration to the South, as well as from the capital region. As the communities diversify, so too will people's beliefs, values and activities. This paper explores the challenges this diversity brings with respect to generating a proactive public response to future evacuation orders. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of capturing narratives of actions and activities to enhance our understanding of the process of decision-making and the situational factors that add to its complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a general review of past and present archaeological work on the later historic period of Iceland, i.e. from the sixteenth century to the present day. Introduced by a brief sketch of the nature of Iceland's history and archaeology, a chronological approach is taken in presenting previous and current research on sites and material of the later historic period. Starting in the mid-twentieth century, with minor work focused on a single ordinary farmstead, the 1970s and 1980s witnessed a growth of excavations largely on elite residences. Since the 1990s and into the present, such a focus has continued while also seeing a rise in development-led projects. Despite this, lack of publication or even general discussion of the archaeology of this period dominates the field in Iceland, problems which are only now being addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic boom and subsequent collapse (Hrun) of the mid 2000s had a marked effect on Reykjavík, leaving various half-finished and empty structures with uncertain futures. Although the material culture of the economic collapse has been examined to some degree, the abandoned building sites have not. The Icelandic heritage discourse has so far had very little engagement with twentieth-century materiality and even less with twenty-first-century materiality but this paper contends that these places can nevertheless be seen as heritage. In order to engage with such places, the Icelandic authorized heritage discourse must be significantly broadened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the particular nature of Icelandic capitalism as it emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Drawing on a recent project investigating the material processes surrounding the rise and fall of an early capitalist venture in the fishing industry, the role of commodities and their intersection with issues of colonialism and nationalism is explored. The study centers on a village community established in 1907 on an island in the bay of Reykjavík, which saw two periods of boom and bust in its short life before the village was abandoned in 1943. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical osteoarchaeology has not been at the forefront of archaeological research in Iceland. Large-scale excavations of historical cemeteries did not start until the mid-twentieth century, and all excavations of historical cemeteries until the early twenty-first century were development led. This fact means that many of the projects carried out did not have an osteoarchaeological focus, nor asked specific osteological questions of the material, as well as the fact that the state of the publication of these sites is very varied. This paper presents a summary of the larger excavations of historical cemeteries in Iceland alongside discussions of the various approaches to the presentation of the analysis of the skeletal remains of those sites that have been published from Jón Steffensen's focus on identifying the individuals at seventeenth-to-eighteenth-century Skálholt and Hólar; to the evidence presented for the hospital in sixteenth-century Skriðuklaustur and the influence of increased urbanization in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Reykjavík on the palaeopathology of those buried there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's biographies are dominated by a multitude of factors. In recent years it has come to a general understanding that people's life histories are embedded in things just as things are premising the biographies of people. Still, the scholarly discussion has concentrated heavily on individual biographies resulting in life-histories of bodies and individuals confined by their bodily framework rather than conceptualizing the person through the mutual interaction between people and things and the interrelationship between various presences in the revelation of the temporality and materiality of biography. In this paper I aim to explore the category of personal biography resting upon aspects of Heideggerian philosophy. I argue for biographical presences that are spread across time, subjected to shared participation and intrinsically intertwined with the narratives they generate. The argumentation rests upon my personal involvement with the biography of a seventeenth-century peasant from the farm Búðarárbakki in southern Iceland. The site and its material culture have emerged as the cause and consequence of our shared life-histories manifesting the notion of multi-temporality and materiality to the category of biography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decade has seen the refinement of a technique for reconstructing palaeo-ice thicknesses based on using the retained HO and CO content in glassy eruptive deposits to infer quenching pressures and therefore ice thicknesses. The method is here applied to Bláhnúkur, a subglacially erupted rhyolitic edifice in Iceland. A decrease in water content from ∼0.7 wt.% at the base to ∼0.3 wt.% at the top of the edifice suggests that the ice was 400 m thick at the time of the eruption. As Bláhnúkur rises 350 m above the surrounding terrain, this implies that the eruption occurred entirely within ice, which corroborates evidence obtained from earlier lithofacies studies. This paper presents the largest data set (40 samples) so far obtained for the retained volatile contents of deposits from a subglacial eruption. An important consequence is that it enables subtle but significant variations in water content to become evident. In particular, there are anomalous samples which are either water-rich (up to 1 wt.%) or water-poor (∼0.2 wt.%), with the former being interpreted as forming intrusively within hyaloclastite and the latter representing batches of magma that were volatile-poor prior to eruption. The large data set also provides further insights into the strengths and weaknesses of using volatiles to infer palaeo-ice thicknesses and highlights many of the uncertainties involved. By using examples from Bláhnúkur, the quantitative use of this technique is evaluated. However, the relative pressure conditions which have shed light on Bláhnúkur's eruption mechanisms and syn-eruptive glacier response show that, despite uncertainties in absolute values, the volatile approach can provide useful insight into the mechanisms of subglacial rhyolitic eruptions, which have never been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the disruption to international air travel caused by the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 has been well documented, the significant social impacts on local residents from ash fall to the south and east of the crater are less well-known. These impacts and attitudes of impacted residents and emergency managers are the foci of our present study. Prior to and during the eruption, officials worked to protect the local population from the glacial outburst floods (jökulhlaup) that were of primary concern. The success of these endeavours can in part be attributed to a regional evacuation exercise held in March 2006, an exercise that was carried out with respect to a possible eruption at another volcano, Katla, that is located 25 km to the east of Eyjafjallajökull. Eruptions at either volcano will impact the same communities. Our study here concentrates on Álftaver, a small farming community, located approximately 60 km east-southeast of Eyjafjallajökull and 30 km southeast of Katla. Álftaver has been the subject of longitudinal studies carried out in 2004, 2006, and 2008; these studies highlighted the difficulties that emergency managers face in developing appropriate response strategies acceptable to vulnerable communities. The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptions presented an opportunity to re-assess residents' attitudes and behaviour in relation to volcanic risk management in the wake of their first-hand experiences with volcanic hazards. To achieve this, interviews were conducted with residents and emergency management officials and a questionnaire was distributed to residents. This paper presents the results of this survey and examines changes in attitudes towards volcanic risk management. It was apparent that the experience of ash fall from Eyjafjallajökull provided a better perspective of what could be expected from a Katla eruption and that attitudes towards emergency management had evolved accordingly. Importantly, officials' perceptions of risk are now more aligned with those of residents and both recognise the need for more detailed and concise information regarding the impacts of ash fall during and following volcanic eruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FLOHOF field campaign took place in the period July 21 to August 24, 2007 on and in the surroundings of Hofsjökull glacier in Central Iceland. During the campaign, 18 automatic weather stations (AWS) recording temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, pressure, and precipitation were deployed on and around the glacier. In addition, atmospheric soundings were performed N and S of Hofsjökull by a tethered balloon, pilot balloons, and two unmanned aerial systems (UAS). An energy balance station, consisting of a net radiometer and an eddy correlation flux measurement station, has also been installed. This paper describes the experimental setup of the campaign and presents first results of the data analysis with respect to transience of mountain-induced gravity waves, the extension of katabatic winds into the surrounding of the glacier, the occurrence of katabatic microfronts, and report on novel approaches to probe the vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer by UAS. The observed pressure perturbations related to transient gravity wave activity due to changing inflow conditions were between −2 and 2 hPa in general, with positive values upstream and negative values downstream. Differential heating of the glacier and its surrounding is triggering daytime katabatic flow from the glacier into its surrounding. During the campaign, those katabatic winds typically reached out 4-7 km from the edge of the glacier. During late night in clear sky conditions, frontal-like microstructures have been observed frequently with typical repetition times in the order of 30-60 min indicating the interaction of large-scale synoptic and nighttime katabatic density flows close to the ground. The first research application of the newly developed small unmanned meteorological observer proved the applicability of the system for atmospheric boundary layer research by successfully profiling the atmosphere up to 3.5 km above ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American mink (Neovison vison) are an ecologically damaging invasive species in Europe and Iceland where attempts to control them typically rely on trapping. The focus and efficiency of trapping can be improved by using track-recording mink rafts to identify where mink are present before traps are deployed. This paper describes development of operating strategy for the use of mink rafts with traps, to optimise capture efficiency against costs. We worked sequentially on two unconnected chalk streams in central southern England. On 17 km of the River Itchen, we operated a very high density of rafts (5.9 per km) through spring and summer to generate multiple detections of each mink present. All rafts recording mink tracks were armed with traps, and captured mink were euthanased. After removal of mink until no further detections were made, we calculated that each mink was detected 5.3 times at 5.1 raft sites, and on this basis, rationalised raft density to a standard one per kilometer of river. We set a trap deployment time (10 days) that encompassed the longest observed lapse from detection to capture (7 days), and extended the check interval for rafts in monitoring mode from 1 week to 2 weeks to further reduce costs. These operating rules were then deployed for 12 months on the 44-km River Wylye beginning in autumn. Rafts indicated that the river was cleared of mink through the capture of seven individuals, each of which was detected 3.6 times at 2.7 raft sites, on average, and was trapped within 6 days of detection giving a response time of less than 20 days. Although these operating rules may need refinement for other environments, we believe this is a sound basis for effective mink control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical domestic livestock grazing in sensitive landscapes has commonly been regarded as a major cause of land degradation in Iceland. Shieling areas, where milking livestock were taken to pasture for the summer, represented one element of grazing management and in this paper we consider the extent to which historical shieling-based grazing pressure contributed to land degradation. Based on a grazing model to assess pressures and tephrochronology -based soil accumulation rates allied to micromorphology as a proxy for land degradation, our findings suggest that the shieling sy stem contributed to the maintenance of upland vegetation cover and related productivity levels without causing land degradation from settlement through to ca. AD 1300. As land degradation accelerated from ca. AD 1477 it is likely that shieling management continued to operate effectively contributing to the overall resilience of livestock farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a review of geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies for three geothermal zones of Hengill Volcano, Iceland: Nesjavellir, Hellisheidi, and Hveragerdi. We discuss the relationships between global tectonics and high-temperature geothermal systems in Iceland. The bulk of this review is devoted to studies of the physical, geochemical, and mineralogic parameters for the three areas. A separate discussion concerns surface phenomena, as well as the origin of thermal water. This review covers studies of the main aquifer complexes: Miocene/Lower Pliocene plateau basalts, Upper Pliocene/Pleistocene lavas and volcanoclastics involving tillite horizons, an aquifer complex of Holocene lava sheets as thick as 1 km, and an aquifer complex of Upper Pleistocene/Holocene alluvial eolian deposits and formations of bottom moraines. We consider a conceptual model of geothermal reservoirs characteristic for the Hengill geothermal fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and improving the public perception has become an important element in the management of flood risk worldwide. In Iceland, studying perception of flood hazard and flood risk is, however, in its early stages. This paper presents a case study on the public perception of flood hazard and flood risk in an Icelandic town prone to ice-jam floods. Awareness of the population regarding historical inundations, self estimation of flood risk and worry is considered. The factual knowledge of the residents is deconstructed in flood hazard parameters accessible to the lay population: number of events, dates, genesis and boundaries. The performance of the respondents is rated for each parameter and the influence of several predictors evaluated. The research shows three significant patterns: there is poor awareness and little worry about historical inundations in the area; experience of the past flooding events in town is the most effective source of knowledge; awareness, risk estimation and worry are not correlated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment of the avalanche hazard potential and the resulting risks on mountain roads for a 38.7-km-long section of road no 76 (Siglufjarðarvegur) in northern Iceland following a regional scale approach developed in the Alps. The assessment of the individual avalanche death risk proved applicable to distinguish areas of avalanche hazard with a risk above the accepted level, which should be given priority in following detailed investigations and the planning of possible protective measures, from road sections where the avalanche death risk is low and accepted according to international practice. The cumulative individual and collective avalanche death risks in the investigated road section provide a comparable measure for assessing the avalanche hazard both within the Icelandic public road network and on an international scale. The case study on road no 76 in northern Iceland shows that a standardised regional scale risk-based approach is practical to determine, analyse and assess the avalanche hazard situation on mountain roads in Iceland and guarantees comprehensible, reproducible and comparable results as a basis for a sustainable planning of measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recording probabilities for large-magnitude ( M≥4) explosive eruptions are assessed regionally over the last 1000 years, using the LaMEVE database. Although the uncertainty is large, due to the scarcity of large eruptions, it does not swamp differences in recording probabilities across times and regions. Broadly, the results reflect the pattern of European colonial expansion. Iceland presents an interesting anomaly, with a declining recording probability-going back in time-conflicting with its long history of written records. However, this may be explained by the loss of records in the 17th and 18th centuries. Globally, we find that records of roughly 40% of large-magnitude explosive eruptions are missing. There is a marked difference in modern recording probabilities pre- and post-1980, which we attribute to changes in the way that the magnitude of large eruptions is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]