Erosion and sedimentation in Surtsey island quantified from new DEMs

A photogrammetric study of Surtsey, an Icelandic UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals that coastal wave erosion has removed approximately 28 million cubic meters of lava fields since 1967, with a current rate of loss at 0.4 million cubic meters per year. Tuff cones, though more resistant, have also eroded significantly, losing about 1.6 million cubic meters, primarily due to wind deflation and runoff. The study used three new digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from aerial images (1967, 1974) and high-resolution close-range imagery (2019) to quantify these changes. Erosion rates were initially much higher post-eruption but have since stabilized, with projections suggesting the island may become a tuff crag within the next century.

Óskarsson, B. V., Jónasson, K., Valsson, G., & Belart, J. M. C. (2020). Erosion and sedimentation in Surtsey island quantified from new DEMs. Surtsey Research, 14, 63–77. https://doi.org/10.33112/surtsey.14.5