date: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
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pdf:docinfo:title: Volcanic Eruptions and Moss Heath Wildfires on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula: Satellite and Field Perspectives on Disturbance and Recovery
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subject: Since March 2021, a series of volcanic eruptions on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula has repeatedly triggered wildfires in moss-dominated heathlands?an unprecedented phenomenon in this environment. These fires have consumed extensive organic material, posing emerging health risks and long-term ecological impacts. Using high-resolution multispectral satellite data from the Copernicus program, we present the first quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of volcanic wildfire activity. Our analysis reveals a cumulative burned area extending 11.4 km2 beyond the lava flows, primarily across low-relief terrain. Time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) capture both localized fire scars and diffuse, landscape-scale burn patterns, followed by slow and spatially heterogeneous recovery. Complementary ground surveys conducted in August 2024 document diverse post-fire successional pathways, with vegetation regrowth and species composition strongly governed by microtopography and substrate texture. Together, these results demonstrate that volcanic wildfires represent a novel and consequential secondary disturbance in Icelandic volcanic systems, highlighting the complex and protracted recovery dynamics of moss heath ecosystems following fire-induced perturbation.
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dc:title: Volcanic Eruptions and Moss Heath Wildfires on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula: Satellite and Field Perspectives on Disturbance and Recovery
modified: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
cp:subject: Since March 2021, a series of volcanic eruptions on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula has repeatedly triggered wildfires in moss-dominated heathlands?an unprecedented phenomenon in this environment. These fires have consumed extensive organic material, posing emerging health risks and long-term ecological impacts. Using high-resolution multispectral satellite data from the Copernicus program, we present the first quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of volcanic wildfire activity. Our analysis reveals a cumulative burned area extending 11.4 km2 beyond the lava flows, primarily across low-relief terrain. Time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) capture both localized fire scars and diffuse, landscape-scale burn patterns, followed by slow and spatially heterogeneous recovery. Complementary ground surveys conducted in August 2024 document diverse post-fire successional pathways, with vegetation regrowth and species composition strongly governed by microtopography and substrate texture. Together, these results demonstrate that volcanic wildfires represent a novel and consequential secondary disturbance in Icelandic volcanic systems, highlighting the complex and protracted recovery dynamics of moss heath ecosystems following fire-induced perturbation.
pdf:docinfo:subject: Since March 2021, a series of volcanic eruptions on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula has repeatedly triggered wildfires in moss-dominated heathlands?an unprecedented phenomenon in this environment. These fires have consumed extensive organic material, posing emerging health risks and long-term ecological impacts. Using high-resolution multispectral satellite data from the Copernicus program, we present the first quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of volcanic wildfire activity. Our analysis reveals a cumulative burned area extending 11.4 km2 beyond the lava flows, primarily across low-relief terrain. Time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) capture both localized fire scars and diffuse, landscape-scale burn patterns, followed by slow and spatially heterogeneous recovery. Complementary ground surveys conducted in August 2024 document diverse post-fire successional pathways, with vegetation regrowth and species composition strongly governed by microtopography and substrate texture. Together, these results demonstrate that volcanic wildfires represent a novel and consequential secondary disturbance in Icelandic volcanic systems, highlighting the complex and protracted recovery dynamics of moss heath ecosystems following fire-induced perturbation.
pdf:docinfo:creator: Johanna Schiffmann, Thomas R. Walter, Linda Sobolewski and Thilo Heinken
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meta:author: Johanna Schiffmann, Thomas R. Walter, Linda Sobolewski and Thilo Heinken
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Author: Johanna Schiffmann, Thomas R. Walter, Linda Sobolewski and Thilo Heinken
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Keywords: volcano eruption; wildfire; moss; Iceland; multispectral
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dc:creator: Johanna Schiffmann, Thomas R. Walter, Linda Sobolewski and Thilo Heinken
dcterms:created: 2025-11-01T02:28:36Z
Last-Modified: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
dcterms:modified: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
title: Volcanic Eruptions and Moss Heath Wildfires on Iceland?s Reykjanes Peninsula: Satellite and Field Perspectives on Disturbance and Recovery
Last-Save-Date: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
pdf:docinfo:keywords: volcano eruption; wildfire; moss; Iceland; multispectral
pdf:docinfo:modified: 2025-11-01T02:38:50Z
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creator: Johanna Schiffmann, Thomas R. Walter, Linda Sobolewski and Thilo Heinken
dc:subject: volcano eruption; wildfire; moss; Iceland; multispectral
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meta:keyword: volcano eruption; wildfire; moss; Iceland; multispectral
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