Volcanic sands of Iceland - Diverse origins of aeolian sand deposits revealed at Dyngjusandur and Lambahraun

• Main Authors: Baratoux, David, Mangold, N., Arnalds, O., Bardintzeff, J.M., Grégoire, M., Pinet, P.
• Other Authors: Services communs OMP (UMS 831), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique UMR 6112 (LPG), Université d'Angers (UA)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (UN UFR ST), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Interactions et dynamique des environnements de surface (IDES), Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut universitaire de formation des maîtres - Académie de Versailles (IUFM Versailles), Université de Cergy Pontoise (UCP), Université Paris-Seine-Université Paris-Seine
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: [SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences; Lambahraun; Eldborgir; glacier; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00619390

International audience The origin, formation and evolution of volcanic sands are less well known than the formation of the much more common quartz-rich sand sheets. Combining active volcanism and a cold climate, Iceland is covered for about 21% of its surface by sandy areas. The sands were analyzed in detail at two sites and results reveal their diverse origins. The first site is Dyngjusandur, located north of Vatnajokull, and the second site is the Lambahraun area, located south of Langjokull. At both sites, the sand origin is determined from field observations (wind directions from ventifacts), chemical and mineralogical analyses of rocks and sands. At Dyngjusandur, the sand is dominated by glass grains, a situation typical of sand plains in Iceland. Hyaloclastite ridges presently buried beneath Vatnajokull are the dominant source of the sand, and only large size plagioclase crystals (0.5 cm) in sands seem to be derived from the lava flows. Hyaloclastite ridges were crushed by glaciers and mechanically eroded sediments were washed out by melt-water onto flood plains. The sand chemical composition is spatially homogeneous and similar to the average composition of neighboring sub-aerial lava flows, reflecting efficient mixing of distinct sources below the glacier. The presence of sand north of Dyngjujokull can be taken as a way to explore the average chemical composition of non-exposed volcanic material beneath the glacier. In the case of Lambahraun, prevailing winds indicate several potential sources of sand at the north of the sand sheet. Comparison of chemical and mineralogical analyses of sands and rock samples helped to refine the exact origin. In contrast with the first site, the sand is dominated by crystals and is chemically consistent with a mixture of material derived from the lava flows of Eldborgir and Skersli shield volcanoes. Analysis of the contact between the lava flows and the glacier reveals that basaltic sand grains formed as the result of recent advances of the glacier abrading the rocks. ...