Constraints on the dynamics of subglacial basalt eruptions from geological and geochemical observations at Kverkfjöll, NE-Iceland

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• 作者：Armann H枚skuldsson ; Robert S. J. Sparks and Michael R. Carroll
• 关键词：Pillow lavas ; Subglacial volcanism ; Iceland ; Ice thickness estimates ; J枚kulhlaups
• 刊名：Bulletin of Volcanology
• 出版年：2006
• 出版时间：June 2006
• 年：2006
• 卷：68
• 期：7-8
• 页码：689-701
• 全文大小：958 KB
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Earth sciences
  Geology
  Geophysics and Geodesy
  Mineralogy
  Sedimentology
  
• 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
• ISSN：1432-0819

文摘

The Kverkfj枚ll area, NE Iceland is characterised by subglacial basalt pillow lavas erupted under thick ice during the last major glaciation in Iceland. The water contents of slightly vesiculated glassy rims of pillows in six localities range from 0.85卤0.03 to 1.04卤0.03 wt %. The water content measurements allow the ice thickness to be estimated at between 1.2 and 1.6 km, with the range reflecting the uncertainty in the CO₂ and water contents of the melt. The upper estimates agree with other observations and models that the ice thickness in the centre of Iceland was 1.5–2.0 km at the time of the last glacial maximum. Many of the pillows in the Kverkfj枚ll area are characterised by vesiculated cores (40–60% vesicles) surrounded by a thick outer zone of moderately vesicular basalt (15–20% vesicles). The core contains ∼1 mm diameter spherical vesicles distributed uniformly. This observation suggests a sudden decompression and vesiculation of the still molten core followed by rapid cooling. The cores are attributed to a j枚kulhlaup in which melt water created by the eruption is suddenly released reducing the environmental pressure. Mass balance and solubility relationships for water allow a pressure decrease to be calculated from the observed change of vesicularity of between 4.4 and 4.7 MPa depressurization equivalent to a drop in the water level in the range 440–470 m. Consideration of the thickness of solid crust around the molten cores at the time of the j枚kulhlaup indicates an interval of 1–3 days between pillow emplacement and the j枚kulhlaup. Upper limits for ice melting rates of order 10−3 m/s are indicated. This interpretation suggests that j枚kulhlaups can reactivate eruptions.