Mapping of the Eldgjá lava flow on Mýrdalssandur with magnetic surveying

Sigrún Sif Sigurðardóttir; Sigrún Hreinsdóttir; Magnús Tumi Guðmundsson

Mapping of the Eldgjá lava flow on Mýrdalssandur with magnetic surveying

Faculty of Earth Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

— The 934–938 AD Eldgjá lava flow was formed in the largest flood basalt eruption in Iceland during the last 1100 years. Since the eruption, sediments from Katla jökulhlaups have accumulated at Mýrdalssandur outwash plain and partly buried the Álftaver lava field, the westernmost branch of the Eldgjá lava flow. Using the results from a magnetic survey on Mýrdalssandur, the location of the buried edge of the Álftaver lava field has been estimated. The magnetic measurements indicate that the edge of the Álftaver lava field lies 1–4 km further to the west then previously suggested. The thickness of sediments on top of the lava edge is ∼10 m with generally decreasing thickness towards the east and northeast. The depth to the lava flow suggests that sediment accumulation on central and western Mýrdalssandur has amounted to 3–5 km³ since the Eldgjá lava flow was emplaced. The buried part of the lava flow has an area of 64 km² and volume of 1.4±0.5 km³. When these values are added to older estimates, the total area of the Eldgjá lava flow increases to 844 km² and the volume to 20 km³.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	61-71
Number of pages	11
Journal	Jokull
Volume	2015
Issue number	65
Publication status	Published - 2015

Bibliographical note

Funding Information: Páll Einarsson came up with the idea for this research. Sveinbjörn Steinþórsson and Þorsteinn Jónsson assisted in the fieldwork on Mýrdalssandur. Guðrún Larsen assisted with further understanding of the Eld-gjá eruption and its lava flows. Ómar Bjarki Smára-son gave guidance and advice on boreholes on Mýr-dalssandur. Steinar Þór Guðlaugsson gave valuable comments on an earlier version of this work. Financial support for SSS was provided by Directorate of labour for the duration of the field work. Publisher Copyright: © 2015, Iceland Glaciological Society. All rights reserved.

Cite this

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title = "Mapping of the Eldgj{\'a} lava flow on M{\'y}rdalssandur with magnetic surveying",

abstract = "— The 934–938 AD Eldgj{\'a} lava flow was formed in the largest flood basalt eruption in Iceland during the last 1100 years. Since the eruption, sediments from Katla j{\"o}kulhlaups have accumulated at M{\'y}rdalssandur outwash plain and partly buried the {\'A}lftaver lava field, the westernmost branch of the Eldgj{\'a} lava flow. Using the results from a magnetic survey on M{\'y}rdalssandur, the location of the buried edge of the {\'A}lftaver lava field has been estimated. The magnetic measurements indicate that the edge of the {\'A}lftaver lava field lies 1–4 km further to the west then previously suggested. The thickness of sediments on top of the lava edge is ∼10 m with generally decreasing thickness towards the east and northeast. The depth to the lava flow suggests that sediment accumulation on central and western M{\'y}rdalssandur has amounted to 3–5 km3 since the Eldgj{\'a} lava flow was emplaced. The buried part of the lava flow has an area of 64 km2 and volume of 1.4±0.5 km3. When these values are added to older estimates, the total area of the Eldgj{\'a} lava flow increases to 844 km2 and the volume to 20 km3.",

author = "Sigur{\dh}ard{\'o}ttir, \{Sigr{\'u}n Sif\} and Sigr{\'u}n Hreinsd{\'o}ttir and Gu{\dh}mundsson, \{Magn{\'u}s Tumi\}",

note = "Funding Information: P{\'a}ll Einarsson came up with the idea for this research. Sveinbj{\"o}rn Stein{\th}{\'o}rsson and {\TH}orsteinn J{\'o}nsson assisted in the fieldwork on M{\'y}rdalssandur. Gu{\dh}r{\'u}n Larsen assisted with further understanding of the Eld-gj{\'a} eruption and its lava flows. {\'O}mar Bjarki Sm{\'a}ra-son gave guidance and advice on boreholes on M{\'y}r-dalssandur. Steinar {\TH}{\'o}r Gu{\dh}laugsson gave valuable comments on an earlier version of this work. Financial support for SSS was provided by Directorate of labour for the duration of the field work. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015, Iceland Glaciological Society. All rights reserved.",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

volume = "2015",

pages = "61--71",

journal = "Jokull",

issn = "0449-0576",

publisher = "Joklarannsoknafelag Islands/Glaciological and Geological Societies of Iceland",

number = "65",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Mapping of the Eldgjá lava flow on Mýrdalssandur with magnetic surveying

AU - Sigurðardóttir, Sigrún Sif

AU - Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún

AU - Guðmundsson, Magnús Tumi

N1 - Funding Information: Páll Einarsson came up with the idea for this research. Sveinbjörn Steinþórsson and Þorsteinn Jónsson assisted in the fieldwork on Mýrdalssandur. Guðrún Larsen assisted with further understanding of the Eld-gjá eruption and its lava flows. Ómar Bjarki Smára-son gave guidance and advice on boreholes on Mýr-dalssandur. Steinar Þór Guðlaugsson gave valuable comments on an earlier version of this work. Financial support for SSS was provided by Directorate of labour for the duration of the field work. Publisher Copyright: © 2015, Iceland Glaciological Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - — The 934–938 AD Eldgjá lava flow was formed in the largest flood basalt eruption in Iceland during the last 1100 years. Since the eruption, sediments from Katla jökulhlaups have accumulated at Mýrdalssandur outwash plain and partly buried the Álftaver lava field, the westernmost branch of the Eldgjá lava flow. Using the results from a magnetic survey on Mýrdalssandur, the location of the buried edge of the Álftaver lava field has been estimated. The magnetic measurements indicate that the edge of the Álftaver lava field lies 1–4 km further to the west then previously suggested. The thickness of sediments on top of the lava edge is ∼10 m with generally decreasing thickness towards the east and northeast. The depth to the lava flow suggests that sediment accumulation on central and western Mýrdalssandur has amounted to 3–5 km3 since the Eldgjá lava flow was emplaced. The buried part of the lava flow has an area of 64 km2 and volume of 1.4±0.5 km3. When these values are added to older estimates, the total area of the Eldgjá lava flow increases to 844 km2 and the volume to 20 km3.

AB - — The 934–938 AD Eldgjá lava flow was formed in the largest flood basalt eruption in Iceland during the last 1100 years. Since the eruption, sediments from Katla jökulhlaups have accumulated at Mýrdalssandur outwash plain and partly buried the Álftaver lava field, the westernmost branch of the Eldgjá lava flow. Using the results from a magnetic survey on Mýrdalssandur, the location of the buried edge of the Álftaver lava field has been estimated. The magnetic measurements indicate that the edge of the Álftaver lava field lies 1–4 km further to the west then previously suggested. The thickness of sediments on top of the lava edge is ∼10 m with generally decreasing thickness towards the east and northeast. The depth to the lava flow suggests that sediment accumulation on central and western Mýrdalssandur has amounted to 3–5 km3 since the Eldgjá lava flow was emplaced. The buried part of the lava flow has an area of 64 km2 and volume of 1.4±0.5 km3. When these values are added to older estimates, the total area of the Eldgjá lava flow increases to 844 km2 and the volume to 20 km3.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103176992

M3 - Review article

SN - 0449-0576

VL - 2015

SP - 61

EP - 71

JO - Jokull

JF - Jokull

IS - 65

ER -

Mapping of the Eldgjá lava flow on Mýrdalssandur with magnetic surveying

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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