Geology of Iceland

The geology of Iceland is unique and of particular interest to geologists. Iceland lies on the divergent boundary between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate. It also lies above a hotspot, the Iceland plume, which is believed to have caused the formation of Iceland itself, the island first appearing over the ocean surface about 16 to 18 million years ago.^[1]^[2]^{[dead link]} The result is an island characterised by repeated volcanism and geothermal phenomena such as geysers.

The eruption of Laki in 1783 caused much devastation and loss of life; lead to famine which then killed approximately 25% of the island's human population,^[3] caused a drop in global temperatures, as sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere. This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in India. The eruption has been estimated to have killed over six million people globally,^[4] making it the deadliest in historical times.^{[citation needed]}

In the period 1965 to 1969 the new island of Surtsey was created on the southwest coast by a volcanic eruption.

Chronology

Opening of the North Atlantic

Iceland plume
Iceland hotspot
Rifting of the north Atlantic

Cenozoic fossiliferous strata

Vegetational changes
Past climate
Origin of the strata
Fossil preservation

Glaciations

Glacier extent
Nunataks and icefree areas
Interglacials
Tuyas and subcanism

Holocene changes and volcanism

Human impact and natural catastrophes

Overgrazing

Soil erosion

Current climate change

General glacier retreat
Tree line rise
Sea level rise

Current tectonics

Rift jump
Seismic activity
Volcano tectonics

References

^ Tobias Weisenberger (2013). "Introduction to the geology of Iceland".
^ "Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World, Vol. 24" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-01.
^ Gunnar Karlsson (2000), Iceland's 1100 Years, p. 181
^ How The Earth Was Made: The Age of Earth (video), History.com

External links

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[1] Tobias Weisenberger (2013). "Introduction to the geology of Iceland".

[2] "Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World, Vol. 24" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-08-01.

[3] Gunnar Karlsson (2000), Iceland's 1100 Years, p. 181

[4] How The Earth Was Made: The Age of Earth (video), History.com

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