Transcript Surtsey - Colby College

Surtsey, Iceland
Dept. of Geology, Colby College
Patrick Deniger & Cameron Hillier
Surtsey is located off the southern coast of Iceland. Also, just to the
east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge on a plate boundary, as seen above.
Surtsey is among the longest
lasting eruption in Iceland’s
history, lasting from November
14, 1963 – June 5, 1967.
At the end of
the eruption,
the island
measured 1
square mile.
By 2008 it was
down to .54
square miles
due to
erosion.
Surtsey has two crescent
shaped craters in the center,
but eruptions took place in 8
different places around the
island.
130 meters under water, an explosive
eruption occurred and 1 day later the
island was above the surface, made
of tephra, or volcanic ash formed by
hot lava cooled by the sea.
The magma was
mostly molten
sedimentary
rocks.
Surtsey is named such for
the fire god of Norse
mythology, which tells us
something about the
explosiveness of the
eruptions...
The pyroclastic flow
consists of gas and ash,
but mostly water vapor.
4 Miles High!
Surtsey has become a very
prominent place for studying
biology and the
“colonization” of the island.
• Tuff Rings of Surtsey
-Produced eruption columns 100-250m in
diameter and 500-2000m in height that created
stability
• Phreatomagmatic Eruptions
• Alkali Olivine Basalt
• Tephra is brown basalt glasspalagonite tuff
=Palagonization
• Chemical analysis
of the rocks have
shown gradual
changes
• Temperature measurements are routinely carried
out
• Western Crater of Surtsey has partially conserved
its heat, but has rapidly cooled since the summer
of 1986
• Abnormal Temperatures
were observed in April of
1968 but began to slowly
cool since 1972
• 1979: Experimental hole
drilled to a depth of 180
meters
The Exclusive Club of Surtsey
• Icelandic
government
designated the
island a nature
reserve
• No tourist will
ever visit Surtsey
“If you lose specimen on this island it’s not a great
loss, its not any news, but to find specimen, that’s
news”
Geothermal Energy and Monitoring of
Surtsey
• Seismological measurements, aerial
geomagnetic measurements, gravity surveys,
and GPS measurements
• 90% of Iceland is heated by natural
geothermal energy but not from Surtsey
http://cdn-imgs-mag.aeon.co/images/2014/12/42-17866316.jpg
Decker. "Surtsey, Iceland." Surtsey, Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. at <http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/vwdocs/
volc_images/europe_west_asia/surtsey.html>(accessed 22 January, 2015)
Jakobsson, Sveinn P. "Surtsey - Geology." Surtsey - Geology. Surtsey Research Society, 6 May 2007. Web.
22 Jan. 2015. at <http://www.surtsey.is/pp_ens/geo_1.htm>.(accessed 22 January, 2015)
Liu, Jiaqi, Jiali Liu, Wenfeng Guo, and Xiaoyu Chen. "Updates in Volcanology." Volcanic Natural Resources and
Volcanic Landscape Protection: An Overview. N.p.: INTECH Open Access,
2012. N. pag. Web. at
<http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/41664.pdf>.(accessed 22 January, 2015)
Blask, Sara. "Iceland's New Island Is an Exclusive Club â€
“for Scientists Only." The Christian Science
Monitor.
The Christian Science Monitor, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. at <http://
www.csmonitor.com/TheCulture/2008/1024/iceland-s-new-island-is-an-exclusive-clubfor-scientists- only>.(accessed 22
January, 2015)
The Surtsey Reasearch Society, 1965: Geology at http://www.surtsey.is/pp_ens/gen_3.htm
(accessed January 20, 2015)
Surtsey Explored, 2008: About Surtsey at
http://surtseyexplored.synthasite.com/about-surtsey.php (accessed
January 20, 2015)
Surtsey Explored, 2007: New Biology at
http://surtseyexplored.synthasite.com/about-surtsey.php
(accessed January 20, 2015)
Pearce, F., The fire-eater s island, New Scientist 189(2536):48–49, 18 January 2006 at
http://www.spiritland.net/pamphalet-surtsey.htm (accessed January 20, 2015)