Geodynamics of Iceland and the signatures of plate spreading

Freysteinn Sigmundsson*, Páll Einarsson, Ásta Rut Hjartardóttir, Vincent Drouin, Kristín Jónsdóttir, Thóra Árnadóttir, Halldór Geirsson, Sigrún Hreinsdóttir, Siqi Li, Benedikt Gunnar Ófeigsson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Iceland, rising to more than 2 km above sea level, originates from the interaction of a mid-oceanic ridge and excessive mantle upwelling. The plate boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates traverses Iceland as a series of seismic and volcanic rift zones. The building blocks of the volcanic zones are about 32 volcanic systems, typically consisting of a central volcano often with a caldera and an associated fissure swarm (one or more). Recent revision of geometry and nature of the volcanic systems include new constraints on the fissure swarms of Western Volcanic Zone, and the one active in 2014–2015 associated to the Bárðarbunga central volcano. Countrywide seismic network, and historical earthquake activity, shows that seismicity is most pronounced in transform zones in south and north Iceland, and at central volcanoes undergoing volcanic unrest. In a two year period 2015–2016, the most seismically active volcanoes were Katla and Bárðarbunga. Measurements of ground deformation, using both GPS geodesy and interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar images acquired by satellites (InSAR) reveal well the present day plate spreading process in Iceland. Geodetically measured spreading rate across Iceland is consistent with global plate motion models (MORVEL2010: 18–19 mm/yr in direction N(100–105)°E), accommodated by a single rift zone in north Iceland, overlapping rifts in south Iceland, and a highly oblique rift on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) in response to ice retreat since 1890 is an additional important processes on a regional scale in Iceland, responsible for rise of central part of Iceland of >30 mm/year.

Original languageEnglish
Article number106436
JournalJournal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
Volume391
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The research presented has been supported by numerous projects and agencies, including: European Community's FP7 Programme Grant No. 308377 (Project FUTUREVOLC), the Icelandic Research Fund, the Research Fund at University of Iceland, Landsvirkjun, HS Orka, Reykjavik Energy, Crisis response funding from the Icelandic government through the Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, NERC, UK and the National Science Foundation, USA. Space agencies and their committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) provided access to satellite data for InSAR processing through the Icelandic Volcanoes permanent supersite, a part of the initiative on Geohazards Supersites and Natural Laboratories (GSNL) by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Field operations in remote areas have been supported by the Icelandic Coast Guard, the Iceland Glaciological Society, and the Vatnaj?kull National Park. The authors thank the technical staff at their institutions that have made the field observations presented possible. For GPS equipment and support the authors acknowledge services provided by the UNAVCO Facility with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Funding Information:
The research presented has been supported by numerous projects and agencies, including: European Community’s FP7 Programme Grant No. 308377 (Project FUTUREVOLC), the Icelandic Research Fund, the Research Fund at University of Iceland, Landsvirkjun, HS Orka, Reykjavik Energy, Crisis response funding from the Icelandic government through the Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, NERC, UK and the National Science Foundation, USA. Space agencies and their committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) provided access to satellite data for InSAR processing through the Icelandic Volcanoes permanent supersite, a part of the initiative on Geohazards Supersites and Natural Laboratories (GSNL) by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Field operations in remote areas have been supported by the Icelandic Coast Guard, the Iceland Glaciological Society, and the Vatnajökull National Park. The authors thank the technical staff at their institutions that have made the field observations presented possible. For GPS equipment and support the authors acknowledge services provided by the UNAVCO Facility with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.

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