Iceland Geodynamics: Magma-Tectonic Interactions in South Iceland

世界洋中脊系统的短期（不到100万年）伸展过程由于其水下环境而对其进行观测和量化是一个挑战。岩浆对脊的分割导致了适应机制沿走向的变化（例如，断层位移可能在岩浆段的末端增加，那里几乎没有岩浆可用于通过岩脉侵入进行扩张），进一步使应变信号复杂化。这项研究的目标是利用密集的大孔径测量GPS和高速率连续GPS网络，研究与冰岛发散板块边界带相关的复杂四维地壳变形场，就像地球范围板块边界观测站网络一样，并建立在宾夕法尼亚州立大学、迈阿密大学、北欧火山学中心和冰岛气象局之间为期六年的合作基础上。这个研究小组正在调查冰岛南部的应变分配，目的是更好地量化冰岛东部火山带应变的时空格局。这些研究将有助于深入了解中心火山和岩浆分割脊在适应板块运动和地壳形成中的作用，并有助于更好地了解与中心火山和裂缝群相关的危害，这些危害在历史上产生了地球上最大体积的熔岩流，并导致了短期（按年顺序）的区域气候变化（例如，1783-84 Lakagígar裂缝喷发）。这个研究项目将增加对裂谷运动学的理解；这类板块边界，包括世界上的大洋中脊，通常是无法进行详细的大地测量研究的。

Short-term (less than about one million years) extensional processes in the world's mid-ocean ridge system are a challenge to observe and quantify due to their subaqueous setting. Magmatic segmentation of ridges leads to along strike variations in accommodating mechanisms (e.g., fault displacements may increase toward the end of magmatic segments, where there is little magma available to accommodate extension via dike intrusion), further complicating strain signals. The goal of this research is to study the complex four-dimensional crustal deformation field associated with the divergent plate boundary zone of Iceland using dense wide-aperture survey GPS and high-rate continuous GPS networks, much like the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory network, and builds on a six-year collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Miami, the Nordic Volcanological Center, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office. This research team is investigating strain partitioning in South Iceland with the goal of better quantifying the temporal and spatial pattern of strain in the Eastern Volcanic Zone, Iceland. These studies will allow insight into the role of central volcanoes and magmatic segmentation of ridges in accommodating plate motion and the formation of crust, and lead to a better understanding of hazards related to central volcanoes and fissure swarms that have historically produced the largest volume lava flows on earth and caused short-term (on the order of years) changes in regional climate (e.g., the 1783-84 Lakagígar fissure eruption). This research project will increase understanding of rift kinematics; this class of plate boundary, which includes the world's mid-ocean ridges, is usually inaccessible for detailed geodetic study.