The southern part of Iceland incorporates two parallel volcanic zones, the Eastern Volcanic Zone and the Western Volcanic Zone. These two branches are connected by an E-W transform. Hekla is located close to intersection between the two plate boundaries. Hekla is one of Iceland's most active and explosive volcanoes. Unique to Hekla is that it is one of the few volcanoes on Iceland that produces explosive silica rich magma. Hekla gives no clear warning of its eruptions and sends out seismic signals with very short notice. It is therefore of interest to try to understand Hekla's magma system and magmatic processes in order to gain an increased knowledge of its volcanic processes. The study is based on calculating crystallization conditions for the minerals plagioclase, clinopyroxene and orthoproxene. Calculations is based on the assumption that minerals, which are in equilibrium with the associated melt are directly associated with the thermodynamics of crystallization. The result of the study shows that Hekla's magma chamber is located at a depth of 8-12 km. The samples from Hekla are poor in minerals, which can be explained by separation due to fractional crystallization that forms a crystal mush. Fast ascending primitive magma along with degassing will eventually lead to an eruption. The absence of crystal zoning indicates a limited chance of magma mixing or crustal contamination. Oxides related to the eruption tend to comprise a low titanium content, which is related with an increased pressure condition. Geospeedometry suggested that recharge occurred up to 10 days before eruption. Erupted oxides shows up to 30 years residence which suggest long-term crystal mush. / Hekla är en av Islands mest aktiva och explosiva vulkan. Dess vulkaniska beteende grundar sig i det underliggande magma systemet samt kompositionen av magman. Unikt för Hekla är att det är en av få vulkaner på Island som producerar explosiv kiselrik magma. Hekla sänder dessutom inte ut tydliga varnings signaler innan utbrott. Det är därför av intresse att försöka förstå Heklas magma system och magmatiska processer för att kunna få en ökad uppfattning om dess vulkaniska processer.Undersökningen grundar sig i att beräkna kristalliseringsförhållanden för mineralerna plagioklas, klinopyroxen samt ortopyroxen. Resultatet av studien påvisar att Heklas magmaförvar är belägget på ett djup av 8-12 km. Proverna från Hekla har varit fattiga i mineraler vilket kan förklaras genom att mineraler har separerats från magman genom kristallisering. Magmas komposition kommer därför att ändras i och med att mineraler som kristalliserats tar bort element från den. Mineralkristallerna bildar sedan en egen zon som innefattar en liten del magma. Utbrotten triggas sedan när varm mafisk magma från ett större djup infiltrerar den grunda magma kammaren samt frisläppandet av gaser som sker vid kristallisering av mineraler.Beräkningar av tiden det tar för oxider att svalna tyder på att ny magma har infiltrerat magma kammaren upp till 10 dagar innan utbrottet. Den nya magman hinner inte blanda sig med den mer utvecklade magman. Detta event skulle leda till att kluster av mineral skulle följa med i utbrottssekvensen. Ett antal oxider visar även på att det börjat svalna upp till 30 år sedan, vilket kan förklaras av en zon bestående av kristaller.

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Iceland is the land-based expression of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is one of the most volcanically active regions of the world. Volcanic eruptions on Iceland are a source of geological hazard to humans and the environment due to the release of ash, gases and lava. The composition of the material released is determined by the chemical composition of the surrounding bedrock and the magma upwelling from the Earth’s crust. The effects of historical eruptions on Iceland have been locally devastating and of global impact. The eruption of Lakagígar in 1783-1784 is known to have been the largest eruption in historical time, and is responsible for the death of ~22 % of theIcelandic population. Skeletal fluorosis is a disease that is sometimes observed following large volcanic eruptions. Volcanic ash can travel great distances in the upper atmosphere and spread over vast areas far away from the erupting volcano. Volcanic ash can change incomposition in the atmosphere, and bring about climate-changing effects. Most notably in recent times, violent ash eruptions can also cause problems to the aviation industry, when ash enters and damages airplane engines. Iceland has many active volcanoes and needs to ensure plans for future eruptions are in place. One such measure is an evacuation plan that protects people living close to an active volcano, such as the most lively on Iceland: Hekla, Katla and Eyjafjallajökull.

Geochemistry plays a vital role in our understanding mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans (Albarède, F. 2003). More recently, geo-chemistry has played a vital role in the field of forensic investigation and in period dating. Forensic soil samples have been traditionally analysed via examinations of colour, texture and mineral content by physical or chemical methods. However, these methods leave any organic or water-soluble fractions unexamined. Tephrochronology (the dating of sedimentary sequences using volcanic ash layers) is an important tool for the dating and correlation of sedimentary sequences containing archives and proxies of past environmental change. Its importance in this area has increased since the increased free carbon in out atmosphere has made radio-carbon dating unreliable. Tephrochronology requires successful geo-chemical identification of the tephras, a method reliant on electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) to analyse major element composition. However, it is often impossible to differentiate key tephra layers using EPMA alone. Raman spectroscopy is commonly used in chemistry, since vibrational information is specific to the chemical bonds and symmetry of molecules, and can provide a fingerprint by which these can be identified. Here, we demonstrate how Raman spectroscopy can be used for the successful discrimination of mineral species in tephra through the analysis of individual glass shards. We further demonstrate how, with the use of oxidative preparation methods, Raman spectroscopy can be used to successfully discriminate between soil types using mineralogy as well as the organic and water-soluble fractions of soils.

Geochemistry plays a vital role in our understanding mechanisms behind major geological systems such as the Earth's crust and its oceans (Albarède, F. 2003). More recently, geo-chemistry has played a vital role in the field of forensic investigation and in period dating. Forensic soil samples have been traditionally analysed via examinations of colour, texture and mineral content by physical or chemical methods. However, these methods leave any organic or water-soluble fractions unexamined. Tephrochronology (the dating of sedimentary sequences using volcanic ash layers) is an important tool for the dating and correlation of sedimentary sequences containing archives and proxies of past environmental change. Its importance in this area has increased since the increased free carbon in out atmosphere has made radio-carbon dating unreliable. Tephrochronology requires successful geo-chemical identification of the tephras, a method reliant on electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) to analyse major element composition. However, it is often impossible to differentiate key tephra layers using EPMA alone. Raman spectroscopy is commonly used in chemistry, since vibrational information is specific to the chemical bonds and symmetry of molecules, and can provide a fingerprint by which these can be identified. Here, we demonstrate how Raman spectroscopy can be used for the successful discrimination of mineral species in tephra through the analysis of individual glass shards. We further demonstrate how, with the use of oxidative preparation methods, Raman spectroscopy can be used to successfully discriminate between soil types using mineralogy as well as the organic and water-soluble fractions of soils.