Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland
Crust at many divergent plate boundaries forms primarily by the injection of vertical sheet-like dykes, some tens of kilometres long1. Previous models of rifting events indicate either lateral dyke growth away from a feeding source, with propagation rates decreasing as the dyke lengthens2, 3, 4, or...
Published in: | Nature |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2015
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Online Access: | https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/1/Sigmundsson%2520et%2520al.%2520-%25202015%2520-%2520Segmented%2520lateral%2520dyke%2520growth%2520in%2520a%2520rifting%2520event%2520at%2520Ba%25CC%2581r%25C3%25B0arbunga%2520volcanic%2520system%252C%2520Iceland%25282%2529.pdf |
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Open Polar |
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University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton |
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ftsouthampton |
language |
English |
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Crust at many divergent plate boundaries forms primarily by the injection of vertical sheet-like dykes, some tens of kilometres long1. Previous models of rifting events indicate either lateral dyke growth away from a feeding source, with propagation rates decreasing as the dyke lengthens2, 3, 4, or magma flowing vertically into dykes from an underlying source5, 6, with the role of topography on the evolution of lateral dykes not clear. Here we show how a recent segmented dyke intrusion in the Bárðarbunga volcanic system grew laterally for more than 45 kilometres at a variable rate, with topography influencing the direction of propagation. Barriers at the ends of each segment were overcome by the build-up of pressure in the dyke end; then a new segment formed and dyke lengthening temporarily peaked. The dyke evolution, which occurred primarily over 14 days, was revealed by propagating seismicity, ground deformation mapped by Global Positioning System (GPS), interferometric analysis of satellite radar images (InSAR), and graben formation. The strike of the dyke segments varies from an initially radial direction away from the Bárðarbunga caldera, towards alignment with that expected from regional stress at the distal end. A model minimizing the combined strain and gravitational potential energy explains the propagation path. Dyke opening and seismicity focused at the most distal segment at any given time, and were simultaneous with magma source deflation and slow collapse at the Bárðarbunga caldera, accompanied by a series of magnitude M > 5 earthquakes. Dyke growth was slowed down by an effusive fissure eruption near the end of the dyke. Lateral dyke growth with segment barrier breaking by pressure build-up in the dyke distal end explains how focused upwelling of magma under central volcanoes is effectively redistributed over long distances to create new upper crust at divergent plate boundaries. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn Hooper, Andrew Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún Vogfjörd, Kristín S. Ófeigsson, Benedikt G. Heimisson, Elías Rafn Dumont, Stéphanie Parks, Michelle Spaans, Karsten Gudmundsson, Gunnar B. Drouin, Vincent Árnadóttir, Thóra Jónsdóttir, Kristín Gudmundsson, Magnús T. Högnadóttir, Thórdís Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María Hensch, Martin Einarsson, Páll Magnússon, Eyjólfur Samsonov, Sergey Brandsdóttir, Bryndís White, Robert S. Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg Greenfield, Tim Green, Robert G. Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut Pedersen, Rikke Bennett, Richard A. Geirsson, Halldór La Femina, Peter C. Björnsson, Helgi Pálsson, Finnur Sturkell, Erik Bean, Christopher J. Möllhoff, Martin Braiden, Aoife K. Eibl, Eva P.S. |
spellingShingle |
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn Hooper, Andrew Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún Vogfjörd, Kristín S. Ófeigsson, Benedikt G. Heimisson, Elías Rafn Dumont, Stéphanie Parks, Michelle Spaans, Karsten Gudmundsson, Gunnar B. Drouin, Vincent Árnadóttir, Thóra Jónsdóttir, Kristín Gudmundsson, Magnús T. Högnadóttir, Thórdís Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María Hensch, Martin Einarsson, Páll Magnússon, Eyjólfur Samsonov, Sergey Brandsdóttir, Bryndís White, Robert S. Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg Greenfield, Tim Green, Robert G. Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut Pedersen, Rikke Bennett, Richard A. Geirsson, Halldór La Femina, Peter C. Björnsson, Helgi Pálsson, Finnur Sturkell, Erik Bean, Christopher J. Möllhoff, Martin Braiden, Aoife K. Eibl, Eva P.S. Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
author_facet |
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn Hooper, Andrew Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún Vogfjörd, Kristín S. Ófeigsson, Benedikt G. Heimisson, Elías Rafn Dumont, Stéphanie Parks, Michelle Spaans, Karsten Gudmundsson, Gunnar B. Drouin, Vincent Árnadóttir, Thóra Jónsdóttir, Kristín Gudmundsson, Magnús T. Högnadóttir, Thórdís Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María Hensch, Martin Einarsson, Páll Magnússon, Eyjólfur Samsonov, Sergey Brandsdóttir, Bryndís White, Robert S. Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg Greenfield, Tim Green, Robert G. Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut Pedersen, Rikke Bennett, Richard A. Geirsson, Halldór La Femina, Peter C. Björnsson, Helgi Pálsson, Finnur Sturkell, Erik Bean, Christopher J. Möllhoff, Martin Braiden, Aoife K. Eibl, Eva P.S. |
author_sort |
Sigmundsson, Freysteinn |
title |
Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
title_short |
Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
title_full |
Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
title_fullStr |
Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland |
title_sort |
segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at bárðarbunga volcanic system, iceland |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/1/Sigmundsson%2520et%2520al.%2520-%25202015%2520-%2520Segmented%2520lateral%2520dyke%2520growth%2520in%2520a%2520rifting%2520event%2520at%2520Ba%25CC%2581r%25C3%25B0arbunga%2520volcanic%2520system%252C%2520Iceland%25282%2529.pdf |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/1/Sigmundsson%2520et%2520al.%2520-%25202015%2520-%2520Segmented%2520lateral%2520dyke%2520growth%2520in%2520a%2520rifting%2520event%2520at%2520Ba%25CC%2581r%25C3%25B0arbunga%2520volcanic%2520system%252C%2520Iceland%25282%2529.pdf Sigmundsson, Freysteinn, Hooper, Andrew, Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún, Vogfjörd, Kristín S., Ófeigsson, Benedikt G., Heimisson, Elías Rafn, Dumont, Stéphanie, Parks, Michelle, Spaans, Karsten, Gudmundsson, Gunnar B., Drouin, Vincent, Árnadóttir, Thóra, Jónsdóttir, Kristín, Gudmundsson, Magnús T., Högnadóttir, Thórdís, Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María, Hensch, Martin, Einarsson, Páll, Magnússon, Eyjólfur, Samsonov, Sergey, Brandsdóttir, Bryndís, White, Robert S., Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg, Greenfield, Tim, Green, Robert G., Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut, Pedersen, Rikke, Bennett, Richard A., Geirsson, Halldór, La Femina, Peter C., Björnsson, Helgi, Pálsson, Finnur, Sturkell, Erik, Bean, Christopher J., Möllhoff, Martin, Braiden, Aoife K. and Eibl, Eva P.S. (2015) Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland. Nature, 517 (7533), 191-195. (doi:10.1038/nature14111 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature14111>). |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14111 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
517 |
container_issue |
7533 |
container_start_page |
191 |
op_container_end_page |
195 |
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1772815931037188096 |
spelling |
ftsouthampton:oai:eprints.soton.ac.uk:401274 2023-07-30T04:04:28+02:00 Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland Sigmundsson, Freysteinn Hooper, Andrew Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún Vogfjörd, Kristín S. Ófeigsson, Benedikt G. Heimisson, Elías Rafn Dumont, Stéphanie Parks, Michelle Spaans, Karsten Gudmundsson, Gunnar B. Drouin, Vincent Árnadóttir, Thóra Jónsdóttir, Kristín Gudmundsson, Magnús T. Högnadóttir, Thórdís Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María Hensch, Martin Einarsson, Páll Magnússon, Eyjólfur Samsonov, Sergey Brandsdóttir, Bryndís White, Robert S. Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg Greenfield, Tim Green, Robert G. Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut Pedersen, Rikke Bennett, Richard A. Geirsson, Halldór La Femina, Peter C. Björnsson, Helgi Pálsson, Finnur Sturkell, Erik Bean, Christopher J. Möllhoff, Martin Braiden, Aoife K. Eibl, Eva P.S. 2015-01-08 text https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/ https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/1/Sigmundsson%2520et%2520al.%2520-%25202015%2520-%2520Segmented%2520lateral%2520dyke%2520growth%2520in%2520a%2520rifting%2520event%2520at%2520Ba%25CC%2581r%25C3%25B0arbunga%2520volcanic%2520system%252C%2520Iceland%25282%2529.pdf en English eng https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/401274/1/Sigmundsson%2520et%2520al.%2520-%25202015%2520-%2520Segmented%2520lateral%2520dyke%2520growth%2520in%2520a%2520rifting%2520event%2520at%2520Ba%25CC%2581r%25C3%25B0arbunga%2520volcanic%2520system%252C%2520Iceland%25282%2529.pdf Sigmundsson, Freysteinn, Hooper, Andrew, Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún, Vogfjörd, Kristín S., Ófeigsson, Benedikt G., Heimisson, Elías Rafn, Dumont, Stéphanie, Parks, Michelle, Spaans, Karsten, Gudmundsson, Gunnar B., Drouin, Vincent, Árnadóttir, Thóra, Jónsdóttir, Kristín, Gudmundsson, Magnús T., Högnadóttir, Thórdís, Fridriksdóttir, Hildur María, Hensch, Martin, Einarsson, Páll, Magnússon, Eyjólfur, Samsonov, Sergey, Brandsdóttir, Bryndís, White, Robert S., Ágústsdóttir, Thorbjörg, Greenfield, Tim, Green, Robert G., Hjartardóttir, Ásta Rut, Pedersen, Rikke, Bennett, Richard A., Geirsson, Halldór, La Femina, Peter C., Björnsson, Helgi, Pálsson, Finnur, Sturkell, Erik, Bean, Christopher J., Möllhoff, Martin, Braiden, Aoife K. and Eibl, Eva P.S. (2015) Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland. Nature, 517 (7533), 191-195. (doi:10.1038/nature14111 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature14111>). Article PeerReviewed 2015 ftsouthampton https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14111 2023-07-09T22:11:09Z Crust at many divergent plate boundaries forms primarily by the injection of vertical sheet-like dykes, some tens of kilometres long1. Previous models of rifting events indicate either lateral dyke growth away from a feeding source, with propagation rates decreasing as the dyke lengthens2, 3, 4, or magma flowing vertically into dykes from an underlying source5, 6, with the role of topography on the evolution of lateral dykes not clear. Here we show how a recent segmented dyke intrusion in the Bárðarbunga volcanic system grew laterally for more than 45 kilometres at a variable rate, with topography influencing the direction of propagation. Barriers at the ends of each segment were overcome by the build-up of pressure in the dyke end; then a new segment formed and dyke lengthening temporarily peaked. The dyke evolution, which occurred primarily over 14 days, was revealed by propagating seismicity, ground deformation mapped by Global Positioning System (GPS), interferometric analysis of satellite radar images (InSAR), and graben formation. The strike of the dyke segments varies from an initially radial direction away from the Bárðarbunga caldera, towards alignment with that expected from regional stress at the distal end. A model minimizing the combined strain and gravitational potential energy explains the propagation path. Dyke opening and seismicity focused at the most distal segment at any given time, and were simultaneous with magma source deflation and slow collapse at the Bárðarbunga caldera, accompanied by a series of magnitude M > 5 earthquakes. Dyke growth was slowed down by an effusive fissure eruption near the end of the dyke. Lateral dyke growth with segment barrier breaking by pressure build-up in the dyke distal end explains how focused upwelling of magma under central volcanoes is effectively redistributed over long distances to create new upper crust at divergent plate boundaries. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland University of Southampton: e-Prints Soton Nature 517 7533 191 195 |