Objectives

To study and to understand the dynamics of the Iceland Hotspot is one of the challenging objectives of earth sciences today. It is an objective of such a dimension and significance that it requires and deserves multinational, high quality input of scientific and technological skills. In the HOTSPOT project we plan to prepare for such large-scale research efforts by utilizing in full the existing geophysical observational facilities for this purpose. But this is only a first step of a much larger project. Therefore it is also an objective of the present proposal to design new facilities, which are necessary for the more general objectives of studying the Hotspot, and to create an international consortium to extend observations and encourage research.