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John Barnard, Chief Surveyor at Loomis Austin, recently joined a team of Earthwatch Institute scientists on a glaciological expedition in Iceland. 
Led by Dr. Andy Russell, a geographic scientist from Newcastle University, the research group included ten US high school student volunteers.   

As a co-principal investigator, John was involved in the surveying of the upland topography and bathymetry of three pro-glacial lakes (depths to ~420 feet) in Skaftafell National Park, part of ongoing Earthwatch expeditions to study the effects of how glaciers transport and release sediment into meltwater systems.

Skeidararjokull Glacier

An Earthwatch volunteer and field team leader, John has participated in two previous expeditions to survey these sites along the front of the Skeidararjokull Glacier.  Loomis Austin's Terrestrial Laser Scanning System provides the research team with a tool that can survey large areas in a short time period.  These annual survey data sets are being compiled to model the changes in this dynamic landscape.

In 1996 the Skeidararjokull Glacier was the site of a massive flood that was caused by a volcanic eruption beneath the vast Icelandic ice cap, one of the most geologically active areas
in the world (Earthwatch website). 

Remarkably, one of these glacial outburst floods (known as “jokulhlaups”) occurred during the 2008 expedition (see photo at right), and the group was able to survey the rising, peak, and waning stages of the flood, which was associated with the draining of Graenalon, Europe’s largest ice-damned lake. 

LAI's Terrestrial Laser Scanner  was used to survey the glacial vents, from which the water was erupting, at two hour intervals for 48 hours.  This is the first time that laser scanning technology has been used to monitor one of these events.