Details for: Thor Thordarson

Thorvaldur Thordarson Professor/Chair in Petrology and Volcanology at Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland. Thordarson’s expertise in hot spot (Iceland, Hawaii) and arc volcanism (New Zealand) is coupled with research on ancient volcanic systems and mineral exploration (Australia, Finland). He has been involved in wide-ranging research on volcanism and volcanic hazards, including volcano monitoring and surveillance in Iceland and New Zealand and industry-linked research on magmatic ore deposits. Thordarson has studied Icelandic volcanoes for >35 years and has been instrumental in research on the physical volcanology of effusive and explosive eruptions including their environmental and climatic effects. Thordarson is the world’s leading expert on the 1783-84 Laki eruption with >2300 citations to the 25 papers that he has published on different aspects of the eruption (petrochemistry, volcanology, environmental, climatic and societal impacts). Current research is centred on historic and Holocene volcanism, with particular emphasis on explosive eruptions at active central volcanoes in Iceland (including Eyjafjallajökull, Grímsvötn, Askja and Öræfajökull volcanoes) as well as aspects of the Neogene volcanic succession in East Iceland. Thordarson has more than 160 publications, including 3 books, concerning various aspects of physical volcanology and volcano-climate interactions that have received >10000 citations. He has supervised and co-supervised 43 postgraduate students in the period and 37 have graduated.