EAST TENNESSEE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
February 2026 Virtual Meeting
Monday,
February 9, 2026
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Note: ETGS members will receive an email with info for logging into the meeting.
February Presentation - Recording
Shakin' and Bakin': Recent Geologic Unrest in Iceland
By
Shawn Willsey
Recent geologic unrest on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula marks a dramatic return of effusive basaltic volcanism after centuries of relative quiescence. Since 2021, repeated dike intrusions, fissure eruptions, and intense earthquake swarms accompanied magma movement along this divergent plate boundary. Escalating seismicity and ground deformation in late 2023 forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik in a single night, underscoring the direct human impacts of this geologic turmoil. Repeated fissure eruptions and associated lavas posed serious threats to critical infrastructure, including the Svartsengi geothermal power plant and the nearby Blue Lagoon, Iceland's top tourist attraction. A host of technological tools such as webcam, accessible scientific data, drone flights, and social media forums have allowed citizen scientists and the general public to observe the eruptions and geologic drama unfold in an unprecedented manner.
Biography
Shawn Willsey is a Distinguished Professor of Geology at the College of Southern Idaho, author of Geology Underfoot in Southern Idaho, and co-author of Roadside Geology of Idaho. He earned a BS degree in geology from Weber State University and an MS degree in geology from Northern Arizona University. Shawn is a licensed professional geologist in Idaho and also maintains a popular YouTube channel (Shawn Willsey-Geology Explained) focused on geology education.
Greetings, and welcome to the February 9, 2026 ETGS
virtual meeting.
This meeting will be attended via Zoom and as a courtesy please mute your cell phone or the microphone in your laptop/tablet to minimize background noise and feedback echos. We will also make an effort to mute all participants - at least until the presentation is finished. Please use the chat feature to type any comments or questions you may have. We recommend that you send questions for the speaker to "everyone" so all participants can see the question. In the interest of time, we may hold the Q&A at the end of the presentation.
We will create a virtual attendance list. It is not always possible
to tell who is participating on-line, especially for those joining by phone,
so please email
etgs@etgs.us
to be listed on the attendance sheet. Let us know exactly how your
name should appear on the list. We will add a note explaining the
lack of signatures due to remote participation and have an ETGS officer sign as usual.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue with this online
format. As always, we welcome and appreciate your feedback and
suggestions for improvement.
ETGS News:
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New ETGS mugs are available! If you would like to purchase a mug, email etgs@etgs.us and include "ETGS Mug" in the subject line.
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ETGS Coffee & Beer Mugs... |
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We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting.
ETGS is a volunteer organization. We need your help to
continue serving those interested in the geology of East
Tennessee and beyond. Please email us at
etgs@etgs.us
if you would consider assisting in one of the following open
positions. It is a great opportunity to expand your personal
and professional network.
President
Tony McClain
Vice
President
David Carlone
Secretary
J.
Brad Stephenson
Treasurer
Seaira Stephenson
Webmaster/Social Media Coordinator
Bob
Gelinas
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Page updated February 09, 2026 |