Older crust underlies Iceland.
The oldest rocks outcropping in northwest Iceland are ∼16 Myr old and in east Iceland ∼13 Myr. The full plate spreading rate in this region during the Cenozoic has been ∼2 cm a−1, and thus these rocks are expected to be separated by ∼290 km. They are, however, ∼500 km apart. The conclusion is inesca...
Published in: | Geophysical Journal International |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Oxford University Press
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/1/14673.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x |
id |
ftunivdurham:oai:dro.dur.ac.uk.OAI2:14673 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivdurham:oai:dro.dur.ac.uk.OAI2:14673 2023-05-15T16:42:18+02:00 Older crust underlies Iceland. Foulger, G.R. 2006-05-01 application/pdf http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/1/14673.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x unknown Oxford University Press dro:14673 issn:0956-540X issn: 1365-246X doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/1/14673.pdf This article has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Journal International. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 RAS Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Geophysical journal international, 2006, Vol.165(2), pp.672-676 [Peer Reviewed Journal] Crust Hotspot Iceland Microplate Plume Article PeerReviewed 2006 ftunivdurham https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x 2020-05-28T22:32:08Z The oldest rocks outcropping in northwest Iceland are ∼16 Myr old and in east Iceland ∼13 Myr. The full plate spreading rate in this region during the Cenozoic has been ∼2 cm a−1, and thus these rocks are expected to be separated by ∼290 km. They are, however, ∼500 km apart. The conclusion is inescapable that an expanse of older crust ∼210 km wide underlies Iceland, submerged beneath younger lavas. This conclusion is independent of any considerations regarding spreading ridge migrations, jumps, the simultaneous existence of multiple active ridges, three-dimensionality, or subsidence of the lava pile. Such complexities bear on the distribution and age of the older crust, but not on its existence or its width. If it is entirely oceanic its maximum age is most likely 26–37 Ma. It is at least 150 km in north–south extent, but may taper and extend beneath south Iceland. Part of it might be continental—a southerly extension of the Jan Mayen microcontinent. This older crust contributes significantly to crustal thickness beneath Iceland and the ∼40 km local thickness measured seismically is thus probably an overestimate of present-day steady-state crustal production at Iceland. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Jan Mayen Durham University: Durham Research Online Jan Mayen Geophysical Journal International 165 2 672 676 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Durham University: Durham Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdurham |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Crust Hotspot Iceland Microplate Plume |
spellingShingle |
Crust Hotspot Iceland Microplate Plume Foulger, G.R. Older crust underlies Iceland. |
topic_facet |
Crust Hotspot Iceland Microplate Plume |
description |
The oldest rocks outcropping in northwest Iceland are ∼16 Myr old and in east Iceland ∼13 Myr. The full plate spreading rate in this region during the Cenozoic has been ∼2 cm a−1, and thus these rocks are expected to be separated by ∼290 km. They are, however, ∼500 km apart. The conclusion is inescapable that an expanse of older crust ∼210 km wide underlies Iceland, submerged beneath younger lavas. This conclusion is independent of any considerations regarding spreading ridge migrations, jumps, the simultaneous existence of multiple active ridges, three-dimensionality, or subsidence of the lava pile. Such complexities bear on the distribution and age of the older crust, but not on its existence or its width. If it is entirely oceanic its maximum age is most likely 26–37 Ma. It is at least 150 km in north–south extent, but may taper and extend beneath south Iceland. Part of it might be continental—a southerly extension of the Jan Mayen microcontinent. This older crust contributes significantly to crustal thickness beneath Iceland and the ∼40 km local thickness measured seismically is thus probably an overestimate of present-day steady-state crustal production at Iceland. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Foulger, G.R. |
author_facet |
Foulger, G.R. |
author_sort |
Foulger, G.R. |
title |
Older crust underlies Iceland. |
title_short |
Older crust underlies Iceland. |
title_full |
Older crust underlies Iceland. |
title_fullStr |
Older crust underlies Iceland. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Older crust underlies Iceland. |
title_sort |
older crust underlies iceland. |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/ http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/1/14673.pdf https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x |
geographic |
Jan Mayen |
geographic_facet |
Jan Mayen |
genre |
Iceland Jan Mayen |
genre_facet |
Iceland Jan Mayen |
op_source |
Geophysical journal international, 2006, Vol.165(2), pp.672-676 [Peer Reviewed Journal] |
op_relation |
dro:14673 issn:0956-540X issn: 1365-246X doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x http://dro.dur.ac.uk/14673/1/14673.pdf |
op_rights |
This article has been accepted for publication in Geophysical Journal International. © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 RAS Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02941.x |
container_title |
Geophysical Journal International |
container_volume |
165 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
672 |
op_container_end_page |
676 |
_version_ |
1766032736132268032 |