Skip to main content
Log in

First results from the North Iceland experiment

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Marine Geophysical Researches Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Between June 2004 and September 2004 a temporary seismic network was installed on the northern insular shelf of Iceland and onshore in north Iceland. The seismic setup aimed at resolving the subsurface structure and, thus, the geodynamical transition from Icelandic crust to typical oceanic crust along Kolbeinsey Ridge. The experiment recorded about 1,000 earthquakes. The region encloses the Tjörnes Fracture Zone containing the Husavik–Flatey strike-slip fault and the extensional seismic Grimsey Lineament. Most of the seismicity occurs in swarms offshore. Preliminary results reveal typical mid-ocean crust north of Grimsey and a heterogeneous structure with major velocity anomalies along the seismic lineaments and north–south trending subsurface features. Complementary bathymetric mapping highlight numerous extrusion features along the Grimsey Lineament and Kolbeinsey Ridge. The seismic dataset promises to deliver new insights into the tectonic framework for earthquakes in an extensional transform zone along the global mid-ocean ridge system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angenheister G, et al. (1980) Reykjanes Ridge Iceland Seismic Experiment (RRISP 77). Z Geophys 47:228–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Barton CA, Zoback MD, Moos D (1995) Fluid flow along potentially active faults in crystalline rock. Geology 23:683–686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjarnasson IT, Menke W, Flovenz OG, Caress D (1993) Tomographic image of the Mid-Atlantic plate boundary in southwestern Iceland. J Geophys Res 98:6607–6622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson A, Saemundsson K, Einarsson P, Tryggvason E, Grönvold K (1977) Current rifting episode in north Iceland. Nature 266:318–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botz R, Winckler G, Bayer R, Schmitt M, Schmidt M, Garbe-Schonberg D, Stoffers P, Kristjansson JK (1999) Origin of trace gases in submarine hydrothermal vents of the Kolbeinsey Ridge. Earth Planet Sci Lett 171:83–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandsdottir B, Detrick R, Driscoll N, Kent G (2002) Pilot study of the Tjörnes fracture zone, offshore northern Iceland, using high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiling and CHIRP sonar. In: Proceedings of the AGU fall Meeting, San Francisco, 2001

  • Brandsdottír B, Richter B, Riedel C, Dahm T, Helgadottír G, Kjartansson E, Detrick R, Magnusson A, Ásgrimsson AL, Pálsson BH, Karson J, Saemundsson K, Mayer L, Calder B, Driscoll N (2004) Tectonic details of the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, an onshore-offshore ridge-transform in N-Iceland. Eos Trans AGU, 85(47):F1071

    Google Scholar 

  • Caress DW, Chayes DN (1995) New software for processing sidescan data from sidescan-capable multibeam sonars. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Oceans 95 conference, San Diego, 997–1000

  • Cohen JK, Stockwell JW Jr (2003) CWP/SU: Seismic Unix release 37: a free package for seismic research and processing. Center for Wave Phenomena, Colorado School of Mines

  • Dahm T, Thorwart M, Flueh ER, Braun T, Herber R, Favali P, Beranzoli L, D’Anna G, Frugoni E, Smiriglio G (2002) Ocean bottom seismometers deployed in Turrhenian Sea. EOS Trans 83:309–314

    Google Scholar 

  • Devey C, Garbe-Schonberg CD, Stoffers P, Chauvel C, Mertz DF (1994) Geochemical effects of dynamic melting beneath ridges: reconciling major and trace element variations in Kolbeinsey (and global) mid-ocean ridge basalts. J Geophys Res 99(B5):9077–9095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Earle PS, Shearer PM (1994) Characterization of global seismograms using an automatic picking algorithm. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84(2):366–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Gudmundsson A, Brynjolfsson S, Jonsson MT (1993) Structural analysis of a transform fault-rift zone junction in North Iceland. Tectonophysics 220:205–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geirsson H (2002) Continuous GPS measurements in Iceland 1999–2002. MSc thesis, University of Iceland

  • Havskov J, Ottemoller L (2003) SEISAN: the earthquake analysis software, Version 8.0 preliminary, University of Bergen, http://www.ifjf.uib.no/Seismologi/software/seisan/seisan.html

  • Hooft E, Brandsdottir B, Mjelde R, Shimamura H, Murai Y (2006) Asymmetric plume-ridge interaction around Iceland: the Kolbeinsey Ridge Iceland Seismic Experiment. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 7:Q05015; doi:10.1029/2005GC001123

  • Hole J, Beaudoin BC, Klemperer SL (2000) Vertical extent of the newborn San Andreas fault at the mendocino triple junction. Geology 28:1111–1114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein FW (1984) User’s guide to HYPOINVERSE, a program for VAX and PC 350 computers to solve for earthquake locations, USGS open file report-84-000

  • Kuhn T, Riedel C, Herzig PM, Theilen F (revised) Shallow 3d structure of the Grimsey Lineament offshore North Iceland. Mar Geol

  • McMaster RL, Schilling J-GE, Pinet PR (1977) Plate boundary within Tjörnes fracture zone on northern Iceland’s insular margin. Nature 269:663–668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richter B, Driscoll N, Detrick R, Fornari D, Brandsdottir B (2003) Recently discovered near-shore gas-charged sediments and pockmarks, northern Iceland. In: Proceedings of the AGU fall. Cite abstracts as: Eos Trans AGU, 84(46), Fall Meet Suppl Abstract AGUFMOS51B0854R

  • Riedel C, Schmidt M, Botz R, Theilen F (2001) The grimsey hydrothermal field offshore North Iceland: crustal structure, faulting and related gas venting. Earth Planet Sci Lett 193:409–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riedel C, Tryggvason A, Dahm T, Stefansson R, Bödvarsson R, Gudmundsson GB (2005) The seismic velocity structure north of Iceland. J Seismol 5:383–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rögnvaldsson ST, Gudmundsson A, Slunga R (1998) Seismotectonic analyses of the Tjörnes fracture zone, an active transform fault in north Iceland. J Geophys Res 103:30117–30129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sæmundsson K (1974) Evolution of the axial rifting zone in northern Iceland and the Tjörnes fracture zone. GSA Bull 85:495–504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffers P, Botz R, Garbe-Schonberg G, Hannington M, Hauzel B, Herzig P, Hissmann K, Huber R, Kristjansson JK, Petursdottir SK, Schauer J, Schmitt M, Zimmerer M (1997) R/V Poseidon, Cruise report 229a. Institut fur Meereskunde, Universitaet Kiel

  • Taylor B, Crook K, Sinton J (1994) Extensional transform zones and oblique spreading centers. J Geophys Res 99(B10):19707–19718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thoroddsen T (1925) Die Geschichte der islandischen Vulkane, K. Dan. Vidensk. Skr., 9. Raekke, Naturvidensk. Mat. Afd., 8, Copenhagen

  • Thorwart M, Dahm T (2003) Evaluation of ringing-phases on ocean-bottom seismometer, EGS-AGU-EUG joint assembly. Nice, France, 6–11 April 2003

  • Vespermann D, Schmincke H-U (2000) Scoria cones and tuff rings. In: Sigurdsson H, Houghton B, McNutt S, Rymer H, Stix J (eds) Encyclopedia opf volcanoes. Academic Press, New York, pp683–694

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogt P, Johnson GL, Kristjansson L (1980) Morphology and magnetic anomalies north of Iceland. J Geophys 47:767–780

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodcock NH, Fisher M (1986) Strike-slip duplexes. J Struct Geol 8:725–735

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Captains Ragnar G. D. Hermansson, and Gudmundur Bjarnasson and their crews for excellent support during the marine surveys. We ackowledge financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under grants Da 478/13-1 and Ri 1220/2-1, the Swedish Vetenskapsradet, the Icelandic Research organization and the Leitstelle für mittelgrosse Forschungsschiffe for taking over the costs for the scientific cruises. Further more we are grateful for the access to instruments of the Geophysical Instrument Pool Potsdam, and for the shot permission and for the research permission to the Icelandic Research organization (RANNIS). C. Riedel also wants to thank Reinhard Wineberger at the german embassy in Reykjavik for unbureaucratic and fast support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Riedel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Riedel, C., Tryggvason, A., Brandsdottír, B. et al. First results from the North Iceland experiment. Mar Geophys Res 27, 267–281 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-006-9007-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-006-9007-0

Keywords

Navigation