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The Classic Surtarbrandur Floras

  • Thomas DenkEmail author
  • Friðgeir Grímsson
  • Reinhard Zetter
  • Leifur A. Símonarson
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Part of the Topics in Geobiology book series (TGBI, volume 35)

Abstract

The classic Surtarbrandur floras of Iceland are 12 Ma (late Serravallian) and belong to the Brjánslækur-Seljá Formation. They make up the most diverse macroflora known from the Miocene of Iceland, with the highest number of exotic angiosperms recorded from this period (Laurophyllum, Liriodendron, Magnolia, Platanus, and Sassafras). Unlike in the older and younger floras, Fagus is absent from the macrofossil and pollen record, suggesting that the older F. friedrichii had not yet been replaced by the later immigrating F. gussonii. The plant assemblages recovered from the Brjánslækur-Seljá Formation represent azonal riparian lowland and upland forests and zonal hardwood forests in the vicinity of a lake followed higher up by mixed broad-leaved deciduous and conifer forests. The plant assemblages reflect the culmination of warm and moist vegetation in Iceland in the late Serravallian. The climatic and vegetation optimum recorded in Iceland for this stage does not reflect the general trend of cooling after the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (17–15 Ma), as seen in many other floras in the northern hemisphere.

Keywords

Mean Annual Temperature Upland Forest Central Volcano Sandstone Unit Miocene Flora 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • Thomas Denk
    • 1
    Email author
  • Friðgeir Grímsson
    • 2
  • Reinhard Zetter
    • 2
  • Leifur A. Símonarson
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of PalaeobotanySwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
  2. 2.Department of PalaeontologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
  3. 3.Institute of Earth SciencesUniversity of IcelandReykjavikIceland

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