Seasonal Ground Deformation at Katla Volcano, Iceland: GNSS Observations and Models

Up to 4 cm horizontal and 3 cm vertical seasonal deformation was recorded at the Austmannsbunga GNSS station on the Katla Volcano in Iceland. The dataset includes observations and 3D finite element models used to quantify surface deformation from seasonal load changes on the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The work, authored by Catherine O’Hara and last updated in June 2026, is shared under a CC-BY-4.0 license.

Use Cases

• Modeling seasonal snow and ice unloading effects on ground deformation based on GNSS displacement data.
• Investigating non-magmatic deformation sources, such as changes in the glacier's hydrologic system, based on residual horizontal signals.
• Calibrating thermo-poro-elastic models for shallow subsurface sources based on cm-scale displacement observations.
• Analyzing deformation patterns associated with jökulhlaups (glacial outburst floods) based on events recorded in 2024 and 2025.

Strengths

• Includes specific deformation measurements, such as up to 7 cm horizontal displacement recorded during a 2024 jökulhlaup.
• Models incorporate realistic bedrock topography and ice unloading based on recent data from Mýrdalsjökull.
• The dataset is associated with a peer-reviewed scientific methodology using 3D finite element models.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 347.9 KB PDF document; the underlying raw observation and model data may not be directly accessible.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, requiring manual inspection after download.
• The description does not specify the exact temporal range of the GNSS observations used.

Provenance

Source

Catherine O’Hara via figshare

Collection Method

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations and elastic three-dimensional finite element method modeling.

Time Range

Observations include events from 1918, 1955, 1999, 2011, and 2024-2025, but the primary study period is not explicitly defined.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-03 06:00:31

Geography

Katla Volcano under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Iceland.