Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash
The Vedde Ash, first described in Norway and dated to ~12000 cal a BP, has been taken to represent tephra derived from a large eruption of the Katla volcano in Iceland and dispersed across the North Atlantic and Europe. However, evidence for tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash, b...
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ftcopernicus:oai:publications.copernicus.org:gchrond107489 2023-05-15T16:47:49+02:00 Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash Harning, David Thordarson, Thor Geirsdóttir, Áslaug Miller, Gifford Florian, Christopher 2022-11-14 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2022-26 https://gchron.copernicus.org/preprints/gchron-2022-26/ eng eng doi:10.5194/gchron-2022-26 https://gchron.copernicus.org/preprints/gchron-2022-26/ eISSN: 2628-3719 Text 2022 ftcopernicus https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2022-26 2022-11-21T17:22:43Z The Vedde Ash, first described in Norway and dated to ~12000 cal a BP, has been taken to represent tephra derived from a large eruption of the Katla volcano in Iceland and dispersed across the North Atlantic and Europe. However, evidence for tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash, but of different ages, questions the utility of isolated Vedde-like tephra layers as reliable and independent age control. Here, we report three stratigraphically separated Early Holocene Katla tephra layers from the lake Torfdalsvatn, in north Iceland, that have bimodal chemical composition similar to the Vedde Ash. By using previously published conventional 14 C ages and revised calibration curves, we provide new ages for these tephra layers of ~11375, 11360, and 11200 cal a BP – all substantially younger than the Vedde Ash. Torfdalsvatn’s record stands as an important reminder that repeated explosive eruptions of Iceland’s major volcanos during the deglacial cycle have produced multiple tephra plumes with similar geochemistry that may span 1000s of years. As a result, we urge caution when using isolated Icelandic tephra layers in distant regions as precise geochronometers without supporting age control. Text Iceland Katla North Atlantic Copernicus Publications: E-Journals Katla ENVELOPE(-19.062,-19.062,63.631,63.631) Norway |
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Open Polar |
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Copernicus Publications: E-Journals |
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English |
description |
The Vedde Ash, first described in Norway and dated to ~12000 cal a BP, has been taken to represent tephra derived from a large eruption of the Katla volcano in Iceland and dispersed across the North Atlantic and Europe. However, evidence for tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash, but of different ages, questions the utility of isolated Vedde-like tephra layers as reliable and independent age control. Here, we report three stratigraphically separated Early Holocene Katla tephra layers from the lake Torfdalsvatn, in north Iceland, that have bimodal chemical composition similar to the Vedde Ash. By using previously published conventional 14 C ages and revised calibration curves, we provide new ages for these tephra layers of ~11375, 11360, and 11200 cal a BP – all substantially younger than the Vedde Ash. Torfdalsvatn’s record stands as an important reminder that repeated explosive eruptions of Iceland’s major volcanos during the deglacial cycle have produced multiple tephra plumes with similar geochemistry that may span 1000s of years. As a result, we urge caution when using isolated Icelandic tephra layers in distant regions as precise geochronometers without supporting age control. |
format |
Text |
author |
Harning, David Thordarson, Thor Geirsdóttir, Áslaug Miller, Gifford Florian, Christopher |
spellingShingle |
Harning, David Thordarson, Thor Geirsdóttir, Áslaug Miller, Gifford Florian, Christopher Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
author_facet |
Harning, David Thordarson, Thor Geirsdóttir, Áslaug Miller, Gifford Florian, Christopher |
author_sort |
Harning, David |
title |
Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
title_short |
Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
title_full |
Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
title_fullStr |
Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
title_full_unstemmed |
Multiple Early Holocene eruptions of Katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the Vedde Ash |
title_sort |
multiple early holocene eruptions of katla produced tephra layers with similar composition to the vedde ash |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2022-26 https://gchron.copernicus.org/preprints/gchron-2022-26/ |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-19.062,-19.062,63.631,63.631) |
geographic |
Katla Norway |
geographic_facet |
Katla Norway |
genre |
Iceland Katla North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Iceland Katla North Atlantic |
op_source |
eISSN: 2628-3719 |
op_relation |
doi:10.5194/gchron-2022-26 https://gchron.copernicus.org/preprints/gchron-2022-26/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2022-26 |
_version_ |
1766037924804034560 |