Open AccessFault and magmatic interaction within Iceland's western rift over the last 9 kyr
Author(s) -
Bull J. M.,
Minshull T. A.,
Mitchell N. C.,
Thors K.,
Dix J. K.,
Best A. I.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-246x.2003.01990.x
Subject(s) - geology , rift , volcano , subsidence , seismology , intrusion , fault (geology) , geomorphology , geochemistry , tectonics , structural basin
SUMMARY We present high‐resolution ‘Chirp’ sub‐bottom profiler data from Thingvallavatn, a lake in Iceland's western rift zone. These data are combined with stratigraphic constraints from sediment cores to show that movement on normal faults since 9 ka are temporally correlated with magmatic events, indicating that movements were controlled by episodic dyke intrusion. Sediment depo‐centres and the focus of subsidence migrated westwards over 3–4 kyr towards the locus of subsequent brittle failure. We interpret this subsidence as related to dyke intrusion a few km along strike, originating from the Hengill volcanic system, which occurred prior to major dyking, faulting and subsidence within the lake at 1.9 ka.