| 1. |
- Gislason, S.R., et al.
(författare)
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Environmental pressure from the 2014–15 eruption of Bárðarbunga volcano, Iceland
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geochemical Perspectives Letters. - : European Association of Geochemistry. - 2410-3403 .- 2410-339X. ; 1:2015, s. 84 - 93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effusive six months long 2014-2015 Bárðarbunga eruption (31 August-27 February) was the largest in Iceland for more than 200 years, producing 1.6 ± 0.3 km3 of lava. The total SO2 emission was 11 ± 5 Mt, more than the amount emitted from Europe in 2011. The ground level concentration of SO2 exceeded the 350 μg m−3 hourly average health limit over much of Iceland for days to weeks. Anomalously high SO2 concentrations were also measured at several locations in Europe in September. The lowest pH of fresh snowmelt at the eruption site was 3.3, and 3.2 in precipitation 105 km away from the source. Elevated dissolved H2SO4, HCl, HF, and metal concentrations were measured in snow and precipitation. Environmental pressures from the eruption and impacts on populated areas were reduced by its remoteness, timing, and the weather. The anticipated primary environmental pressure is on the surfacewaters, soils, and vegetation of Iceland.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Berg, Sylvia, et al.
(författare)
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Making Earth’s earliest continental crust : an analogue from voluminous Neogene silicic volcanism in NE-Iceland
- 2014
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Borgarfjörður Eystri in NE-Iceland represents the second-most voluminous exposure of silicic eruptive rocksin Iceland and is a superb example of bimodal volcanism (Bunsen-Daly gap), which represents a long-standingcontroversy that touches on the problem of crustal growth in early Earth. The silicic rocks in NE-Iceland approach25 % of the exposed rock mass in the region (Gústafsson et al., 1989), thus they significantly exceed the usual≤ 12 % in Iceland as a whole (e.g. Walker, 1966; Jonasson, 2007). The origin, significance, and duration of thevoluminous (> 300 km3) and dominantly explosive silicic activity in Borgarfjörður Eystri is not yet constrained(c.f. Gústafsson, 1992), leaving us unclear as to what causes silicic volcanism in otherwise basaltic provinces.Here we report SIMS zircon U-Pb ages and δ18O values from the region, which record the commencement ofsilicic igneous activity with rhyolite lavas at 13.5 to 12.8 Ma, closely followed by large caldera-forming ignimbriteeruptions from the Breiðavik and Dyrfjöll central volcanoes (12.4 Ma). Silicic activity ended abruptly with dacitelava at 12.1 Ma, defining a ≤ 1 Myr long window of silicic volcanism. Magma δ18O values estimated fromzircon range from 3.1 to 5.5 (± 0.3; n = 170) and indicate up to 45 % assimilation of a low-δ18O component (e.g.typically δ18O = 0 h Bindeman et al., 2012). A Neogene rift relocation (Martin et al., 2011) or the birth of anoff-rift zone to the east of the mature rift associated with a thermal/chemical pulse in the Iceland plume (Óskarsson& Riishuus, 2013), likely brought mantle-derived magma into contact with fertile hydrothermally-altered basalticcrust. The resulting interaction triggered large-scale crustal melting and generated mixed-origin silicic melts. Suchrapid formation of silicic magmas from sustained basaltic volcanism may serve as an analogue for generatingcontinental crust in a subduction–free early Earth (e.g. ≥ 3 Ga, Kamber et al., 2005).REFERENCES:Bindeman, I.N., et al., 2012. Terra Nova 24, 227–232.Gústafsson, L.E., et al., 1989. Jökull, v. 39, 75–89.Gústafsson, L.E., 1992. PhD dissertation, Freie Universität Berlin.Jonasson, K., 2007. Journal of Geodynamics, 43, 101–117.Kamber, B.S., et al., 2005. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., Vol. 240 (2), 276-290.Martin, E., et al., 2011. Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 311, 28–38.Óskarsson, B.V., & Riishuus, M.S., 2013. J. Volcanol. Geoth.Res., 267, 92–118.Walker, G.P.L., 1966. Bull. Volcanol., 29 (1), 375-402.
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| 4. |
- Berg, S., et al.
(författare)
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Silicic Magma Genesis in Neogene Central Volcanoes in Northeast Iceland
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on a geological expedition to NE Iceland in August 2011. A comprehensive sample suite of intrusive and extrusive rocks, ranging from basaltic to silicic compositions, was collected from the Neogene silicic central volcanic complexes in the region between Borgarfjörður eystri and Loðmundarfjörður. The area contains the second-most voluminous occurrence of silicic rocks in Iceland, including caldera structures, inclined sheet swarms, extensive ignimbrite sheets, sub-volcanic rhyolites and silicic lava flows. Yet it is one of Iceland's geologically least known areas (c.f. Gústafsson, 1992; Martin & Sigmarsson, 2010; Burchardt et al., 2011). The voluminous occurrence of evolved rocks in Iceland (10-12 %) is very unusual for an ocean island or a mid-oceanic ridge, with a typical signal of magmatic bimodality, often called "Bunsen-Daly" compositional gap (e.g. Bunsen, 1851; Daly, 1925; Barth et al., 1939). The Bunsen-Daly Gap is a long-standing fundamental issue in petrology and difficult to reconcile with continuous fractional crystallization as a dominant process in magmatic differentiation (Bowen, 1928), implying that hydrothermal alteration and crustal melting may play a significant role. Our aim is to contribute to a solution of this issue by unravelling the occurrence of voluminous evolved rhyolites in NE Iceland. We will use a combined petrological, textural, experimental and in-situ isotope approach. We plan to perform major, trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb-He-O isotope geochemistry, as well as U/Pb and Ar/Ar geochronology on rocks and mineral separates. In addition, high pressure-temperature partial melting experiments aim to reproduce and further constrain natural processes. Using the combined data set we intend to produce a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of rhyolite petrogenesis, and of the temporal, structural and geochemical evolution of the silicic volcanism in NE Iceland. The chosen field area serves as a good analogue for active central volcanoes in Iceland, such as Askja and Krafla, where a close interaction of basaltic and more evolved magma has led to explosive eruptions.
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| 5. |
- Halldórsson, Sæmundur A., et al.
(författare)
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Petrology and geochemistry of the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption, central Iceland : compositional and mineralogical characteristics, temporal variability and magma storage
- 2018
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Ingår i: Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0010-7999 .- 1432-0967. ; 173:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The 2014–2015 Holuhraun fissure eruption provided a rare opportunity to study in detail the magmatic processes and magma plumbing system dynamics during a 6-month-long, moderate- to large-volume basaltic fissure eruption. In this contribution, we present a comprehensive dataset, including major and trace elements of whole-rock and glassy tephra samples, mineral chemistry, and radiogenic and oxygen isotope analyses from an extensive set of samples (n = 62) that were collected systematically in several field campaigns throughout the entire eruptive period. We also present the first detailed chemical and isotopic characterization of magmatic sulfides from Iceland. In conjunction with a unique set of geophysical data, our approach provides a detailed temporal and spatial resolution of magmatic processes before and during this eruption. The 2014–2015 Holuhraun magma is compositionally indistinguishable from recent basalts erupted from the Bárðarbunga volcanic system, consistent with seismic observations for magma ascent close to the Bárðarbunga central volcano, followed by dyke propagation to the Holuhraun eruption site. Whole-rock elemental and isotopic compositions are remarkably constant throughout the eruption. Moreover, the inferred depth of the magma reservoir tapped during the eruption is consistently 8 ± 5 km, in agreement with geodetic observations and melt inclusion entrapment pressures, but inconsistent with vertically extensive multi-tiered magma storage prior to eruption. The near constancy in the chemical and isotopic composition of the lava is consistent with the efficient homogenization of mantle-derived compositional variability. In contrast, occurrence of different mineral populations, including sulfide globules, which display significant compositional variability, requires a more complex earlier magmatic history. This may include sampling of heterogeneous mantle melts that mixed, crystallized and finally homogenized at mid- to lower-crustal conditions.
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| 6. |
- Berg, Sylvia, et al.
(författare)
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Iceland's best kept secret
- 2014
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Ingår i: Geology Today. - : Wiley. - 0266-6979 .- 1365-2451. ; 30:2, s. 54-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ‘forgotten fjords’ and ‘deserted inlets’ of NE-Iceland, in the region between Borgarfjörður Eystri and Loðmundarfjörður, are not only prominent because of their pristine landscape, their alleged elfin settlements, and the puffins that breed in the harbour, but also for their magnificent geology. From a geological point of view, the area may hold Iceland's best kept geological secret. The greater Borgarfjörður Eystri area hosts mountain chains that consist of voluminous and colourful silicic rocks that are concentrated within a surprisingly small area (Fig. 1), and that represent the second-most voluminous occurrence of silicic rocks in the whole of Iceland. In particular, the presence of unusually large volumes of ignimbrite sheets documents extremely violent eruptions during the Neogene, which is atypical for this geotectonic setting. As a group of geoscientists from Uppsala University (Sweden) and the Nordic Volcanological Center (NordVulk, Iceland) we set out to explore this remote place, with the aim of collecting material that may allow us to unravel the petrogenesis of these large volumes of silicic rocks. This effort could provide an answer to a long-standing petrological dilemma; the question of how silicic continental crust is initially created. Here we document on our geological journey, our field strategy, and describe our field work in the remote valleys of NE-Iceland.
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| 7. |
- Berg, S., et al.
(författare)
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Petrogenesis of Voluminous Silicic Magma in Northeast Iceland
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neogene silicic volcanic complexes in the greater Borgarfjörður eystri area, NE-Iceland, are the focus of a petrological and geochemical investigation. The region contains the second-most voluminous occurrence of silicic rocks in Iceland, including caldera structures, inclined sheet swarms, extensive ignimbrite sheets, sub-volcanic rhyolites and silicic lava flows. Despite the relevance of these rocks to understand the generation of evolved magmas in Iceland, the area is geologically poorly studied [c.f. 1, 2, 3].The voluminous occurrence of evolved rocks in Iceland (10-12 %) is very unusual for an ocean island or a mid-oceanic ridge, with a typical signal of magmatic bimodality, often called “Bunsen-Daly” compositional gap [e.g. 4, 5, 6]. The Bunsen-Daly Gap is a long-standing and fundamental issue in petrology and difficult to reconcile with continuous fractional crystallization as a dominant process in magmatic differentiation [7]. This implies that partial melting of hydrothermally altered crust may play a significant role. Our aim is to contribute to a solution to this issue by unravelling the origin, timing and evolution of voluminous evolved rhyolites in NE-Iceland.We use a combined petrological, textural, experimental and in-situ isotope approach on a comprehensive sample suite of intrusive and extrusive rocks, ranging from basaltic to silicic compositions. We are performing major, trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb-He-O isotope geochemistry, as well as U-Pb geochronology and Ar/Ar geochronology on rocks and mineral separates. Zircon oxygen isotope analysis will be performed in conjuction with zircon U-Pb geochronology for further assessment of the role of processes such as partial melting of hydrated country rock and/or fractional crystallization in generating Icelandic rhyolites. In addition, high pressure-temperature partial melting experiments aim to reproduce and further constrain natural processes. Using the combined data set we intend to produce a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of rhyolite petrogenesis, and of the temporal, structural and geochemical evolution of silicic volcanism in NE-Iceland. The chosen field area serves as a good analogue for active central volcanoes in Iceland, such as Askja and Krafla, where interaction of basaltic and more evolved magma has led to explosive eruptions. [1] Gústafsson (1992) PhD dissertation, Berlin University. [2] Martin & Sigmarsson (2010) Lithos 116, 129–144. [3] Burchardt, Tanner, Troll, Krumbholz & Gustafsson (2011) G3 12 (7), Q0AB09. [4] Bunsen (1851) Annalen der Physik und Chemie 159 (6), 197-272. [5] Daly (1925) Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 60 (1), 3-80. [6] Barth, Correns & Eskola (1939) Die Entstehung der Gesteine. Springer Verlag, Berlin. [7] Bowen (1928) The evolution of the igneous rocks. Princeton University Press.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Magma flow and palaeo-stress deduced from magnetic fabric analysis of the Álftafjörður dyke swarm : implications for shallow crustal magma transport in Icelandic volcanic systems
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geological Society Special Publication. - 0305-8719 .- 2041-4927. ; 396, s. 107-132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neogene regional mafic dykes extending north of the Álftafjörður central volcano in east Iceland are studied to test models of dyke swarm emplacement at spreading ridges. This is accomplished by using anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility to define fossilized magma flow regimes. The imbrication of the foliation plane, defined by the minor susceptibility axis, is used as an indicator of the flow direction. Contemporaneous shear resolved on the dyke walls may modify a pure flow-induced fabric and such shear regimes are therefore retracted. The magma flow and palaeo-stress resolved on the dykes are determined in 13 of 24 dykes. The magma flow is interpreted as subhorizontal and northwards directed away from the central volcano for nine dykes, and found to be vertical in three cases. The preferentially subhorizontal magma flow in the Álftafjörður swarm suggests that dyke propagation in this type of Icelandic volcanic system originates in shallow crustal magma chambers. The regional tectonic palaeo-stress field is deduced to cause oblique spreading across the Álftafjörður dyke swarm and govern a subhorizontal dextral shear component on the dyke planes during propagation. This interpretation is not in conflict with the left-stepping en echelon trend distribution of individual dykes relative to the trend of the swarm
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