Guest lecture: Nicholas Rawlinson

Lecture by Nicholas Rawlinson (Cambridge University)

Topic: Microseismicity and melt migration in the Icelandic crust

Abstract: Iceland straddles the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates in the North Atlantic, and has formed as a consequence of the interaction between a deep sourced mantle plume and the Mid-Atlantic ridge. This has given rise to two forms of decompression melting; one caused by the rising plume, and the other caused by plate spreading. This increased melting has produced a crust some 4-5 times thicker than normal oceanic crust, and when combined with dynamic uplift caused by the plume, has led to the generation of a large new land mass which is characterized by extensive volcanic zones. In this talk, I will discuss recent work undertaken by the Cambridge Volcano Seismology group in several key locations, including Askja volcano in the Northern Volcanic Zone, which started to reinflate after more than 50 years of ongoing deflation following its last eruption; the subglacial volcano Bárðarbunga, which is also reinflating following an eruption in 2015; and Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes Peninsula, which erupted from March-September 2021 and again in August 2022, potentially heralding a prolonged period of activity. A particular focus will be on the detection and location of microseismicity in the crust, and how it relates to the migration and intrusion of melt at shallow depths.

Place: Lecture Hall GFÚ