Vatnaöldur (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvahtnaˌœltʏr̥]) is the name of a series of craters in the Suðurland region of Iceland. They are located in the Highlands of Iceland, north–west of the Veiðivötn and north–east of Landmannalaugar, within the municipality of Rangárþing ytra. It is part of the Eastern volcanic zone (EVZ).

Vatnaöldur
Vatnaöldur fissure associated features are in the far distance over the river in this picture from Bláhnúkur towards the north-east
VolcanoBárðarbunga
Date877 ± 2[1]
TypeFissure vents
Location64°10′52″N 18°45′09″W / 64.18111°N 18.75250°W / 64.18111; -18.75250
VEI4[2]

The craters were formed during a series of eruptions associated with a basaltic dyke intrusion from the volcanic system of Bárðarbunga around the year 877.[a] These eruptions, like those of the neighbouring Veiðivötn, were from about 65 kilometres (40 mi) (or 42 kilometres (26 mi)[5]) long volcanic fissures within the area of a lake. The mainly explosive eruptions emitted 5–10 km3 (1.2–2.4 cu mi) of tholeiite basalt.[6][5] There was an associated rhyolite eruption near Torfajökull triggered by the intrusion.[7]: 388  The associated tephra layer is called the Settlement layer,[1] and covers more than half of Iceland’s land surface.[8]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Timings published before 2017 in the literature for the Settlement tephra layer need adjustment. The Greenland ice core studies now date this as 877,[1] while previous to 2017 this was dated as 871.[3] Timings were adjusted after the Icelandic tree ring series was extended to 822.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Gabriel, I.; Plunkett, G.; Abbott, P.M.; Behrens, M.; Burke, A.; Chellman, N.; Cook, E.; Fleitmann, D.; Hörhold, M.; Hutchison, W.; McConnell, J.R. (2024). "Decadal-to-centennial increases of volcanic aerosols from Iceland challenge the concept of a Medieval Quiet Period". Communications Earth & Environment. 5 (1): 194. Bibcode:2024ComEE...5..194G. doi:10.1038/s43247-024-01350-6.
  2. ^ "Bárðarbunga". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  3. ^ Gudmundsdóttir, E.R.; Larsen, G.; Björck, S.; Ingólfsson, Ó.; Striberger, J. (2016). "A new high-resolution Holocene tephra stratigraphy in eastern Iceland: Improving the Icelandic and North Atlantic tephrochronology". Quaternary Science Reviews. 150: 234–249. Bibcode:2016QSRv..150..234G. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.08.011. ISSN 0277-3791.
  4. ^ Büntgen, U.; Eggertsson, Ó.; Wacker, L.; Sigl, M.; Ljungqvist, F.C.; Di Cosmo, N.; Plunkett; Krusic, P.J.; Newfield, T.P.; Esper, J.; Lane, C. (2017). "Multi-proxy dating of Iceland's major pre-settlement Katla eruption to 822–823 CE". Geology. 45 (9): 783–786. Bibcode:2017Geo....45..783B. doi:10.1130/G39269.1.
  5. ^ a b Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program - Vatnaöldur
  6. ^ G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; 25 July 2010
  7. ^ Zellmer, G.F.; Rubin, K.H.; Grönvold, K.; Jurado-Chichay, Z. (2008). "On the recent bimodal magmatic processes and their rates in the Torfajökull–Veidivötn area, Iceland". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 269 (3–4): 387–397. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.02.026.
  8. ^ Valdimarsdóttir, Iðunn Kara (June 2023). Origin, extent, and emplacement conditions of newly exposed pillow lavas and hyaloclastites in the Kverkfjöll region, Iceland. M.S. thesis (PDF) (Thesis). University of Iceland. pp. 1–120. Retrieved 31 August 2024.: 20, 35 

Sources

edit