Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile
The crustal structure of central Iceland is modelled using data from a 310 km long refraction profile shot during summer 1995. The profile traversed Iceland from the Skagi Peninsula on the north coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–0.8 Myr) to the southeast coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–3.3 Myr), cross...
Published in: | Geophysical Journal International |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press (OUP)
1998
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/568 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x |
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ftopinvisindi:oai:opinvisindi.is:20.500.11815/568 2024-09-15T18:07:49+00:00 Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile Darbyshire, Fiona A. Bjarnason, Ingi Þorleifur White, Robert S. Flóvenz, Ólafur G. Raunvísindastofnun (HÍ) Science Institute (UI) Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI) Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland 1998-12 1131-1149 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/568 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) Geophysical Journal International;135(3) http://academic.oup.com/gji/article-pdf/135/3/1131/1728951/135-3-1131.pdf Darbyshire, F. A., Bjarnason, I. T., White, R. S., & Flóvenz, Ó. G. (1998). Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile. Geophysical Journal International, 135(3), 1131-1149. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x 0956-540X 1365-246X (eISSN) https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/568 Geophysical Journal International doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Crustal structure Iceland Mantle plume Seismic refraction Jarðskorpa Jarðmöttull Jarðskjálftar Jarðeðlisfræði info:eu-repo/semantics/article 1998 ftopinvisindi https://doi.org/20.500.11815/56810.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x 2024-07-09T03:01:56Z The crustal structure of central Iceland is modelled using data from a 310 km long refraction profile shot during summer 1995. The profile traversed Iceland from the Skagi Peninsula on the north coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–0.8 Myr) to the southeast coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–3.3 Myr), crossing central Iceland (surface rocks of age 3.3–0 Myr) over the glacier Vatnajökull, below which the locus of the Iceland mantle plume is currently centred. The crustal thickness is 25 km at the north end of the profile, increasing to 38–40 km beneath southern central Iceland. The upper crust is characterized by seismic P-wave velocities from 3.2 to approximately 6.4 km s−1. At the extreme ends of the profile, the upper crust can be modelled by a two-layered structure, within which seismic velocity increases with depth, with a total thickness of 5–6 km. The central highlands of Iceland have a single unit of upper crust, with seismic velocity increasing continuously with depth to almost 10 km below the surface. Below the central volcanoes of northern Vatnajökull, the upper crust is only 3 km thick. The lower-crustal velocity structure is determined from rays that turn at a maximum depth of 24 km below central Iceland, where the seismic velocity is 7.2 km s−1. Below 24 km depth there are no first-arriving turning rays. The Moho is defined by P-and S-wave reflections observed from the shots at the extreme ends of the profile.P- to S-wave velocity ratios give a Poisson's:of 0.26 in the upper crust and 0.27 in the lower crust, indicating that, even directly above the centre of the mantle plume, the crust is well below the solidus temperature. We thank Rob Staples for assistance and many helpful discussions. This work is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and National Science Foundation research grants; FD is supported by NERC. Instruments were loaned by the University of Cambridge, the University of Iceland, the NERC Geophysical Equipment Pool, the PASSCAL instrument pool, the Lamont-Doherty Earth ... Article in Journal/Newspaper glacier Iceland Vatnajökull Opin vísindi (Iceland) Geophysical Journal International 135 3 1131 1149 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Opin vísindi (Iceland) |
op_collection_id |
ftopinvisindi |
language |
English |
topic |
Crustal structure Iceland Mantle plume Seismic refraction Jarðskorpa Jarðmöttull Jarðskjálftar Jarðeðlisfræði |
spellingShingle |
Crustal structure Iceland Mantle plume Seismic refraction Jarðskorpa Jarðmöttull Jarðskjálftar Jarðeðlisfræði Darbyshire, Fiona A. Bjarnason, Ingi Þorleifur White, Robert S. Flóvenz, Ólafur G. Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
topic_facet |
Crustal structure Iceland Mantle plume Seismic refraction Jarðskorpa Jarðmöttull Jarðskjálftar Jarðeðlisfræði |
description |
The crustal structure of central Iceland is modelled using data from a 310 km long refraction profile shot during summer 1995. The profile traversed Iceland from the Skagi Peninsula on the north coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–0.8 Myr) to the southeast coast (surface rocks of age 8.5–3.3 Myr), crossing central Iceland (surface rocks of age 3.3–0 Myr) over the glacier Vatnajökull, below which the locus of the Iceland mantle plume is currently centred. The crustal thickness is 25 km at the north end of the profile, increasing to 38–40 km beneath southern central Iceland. The upper crust is characterized by seismic P-wave velocities from 3.2 to approximately 6.4 km s−1. At the extreme ends of the profile, the upper crust can be modelled by a two-layered structure, within which seismic velocity increases with depth, with a total thickness of 5–6 km. The central highlands of Iceland have a single unit of upper crust, with seismic velocity increasing continuously with depth to almost 10 km below the surface. Below the central volcanoes of northern Vatnajökull, the upper crust is only 3 km thick. The lower-crustal velocity structure is determined from rays that turn at a maximum depth of 24 km below central Iceland, where the seismic velocity is 7.2 km s−1. Below 24 km depth there are no first-arriving turning rays. The Moho is defined by P-and S-wave reflections observed from the shots at the extreme ends of the profile.P- to S-wave velocity ratios give a Poisson's:of 0.26 in the upper crust and 0.27 in the lower crust, indicating that, even directly above the centre of the mantle plume, the crust is well below the solidus temperature. We thank Rob Staples for assistance and many helpful discussions. This work is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and National Science Foundation research grants; FD is supported by NERC. Instruments were loaned by the University of Cambridge, the University of Iceland, the NERC Geophysical Equipment Pool, the PASSCAL instrument pool, the Lamont-Doherty Earth ... |
author2 |
Raunvísindastofnun (HÍ) Science Institute (UI) Verkfræði- og náttúruvísindasvið (HÍ) School of Engineering and Natural Sciences (UI) Háskóli Íslands University of Iceland |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Darbyshire, Fiona A. Bjarnason, Ingi Þorleifur White, Robert S. Flóvenz, Ólafur G. |
author_facet |
Darbyshire, Fiona A. Bjarnason, Ingi Þorleifur White, Robert S. Flóvenz, Ólafur G. |
author_sort |
Darbyshire, Fiona A. |
title |
Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
title_short |
Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
title_full |
Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
title_fullStr |
Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
title_full_unstemmed |
Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile |
title_sort |
crustal structure above the iceland mantle plume imaged by the icemelt refraction profile |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/568 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x |
genre |
glacier Iceland Vatnajökull |
genre_facet |
glacier Iceland Vatnajökull |
op_relation |
Geophysical Journal International;135(3) http://academic.oup.com/gji/article-pdf/135/3/1131/1728951/135-3-1131.pdf Darbyshire, F. A., Bjarnason, I. T., White, R. S., & Flóvenz, Ó. G. (1998). Crustal structure above the Iceland mantle plume imaged by the ICEMELT refraction profile. Geophysical Journal International, 135(3), 1131-1149. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x 0956-540X 1365-246X (eISSN) https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/568 Geophysical Journal International doi:10.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/20.500.11815/56810.1046/j.1365-246X.1998.00701.x |
container_title |
Geophysical Journal International |
container_volume |
135 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
1131 |
op_container_end_page |
1149 |
_version_ |
1810445176603148288 |