Iceland and the Pulling Apart of Two Major Tectonic Plates

[Hervé]

Aerial Pictures Show North American and European Tectonic Plates in Iceland Pulling Apart (http://www.geologyin.com/2017/05/aerial-pictures-show-usa-and-european.html)

0 (https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3766405721248293436&postID=5939083327101135601&isPopup=true) earth (http://www.geologyin.com/search/label/earth), Geology (http://www.geologyin.com/search/label/Geology), Tectonic (http://www.geologyin.com/search/label/Tectonic) 4:11 PM (http://www.geologyin.com/2017/05/aerial-pictures-show-usa-and-european.html)



https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1mE8UMOBSc/WSLdVUQi0vI/AAAAAAAAMW0/0BqJjHsjSCELLbbNpgPVxjsQDG1ArDxEgCLcB/s640/Aerial%2BPictures%2BShow%2BUSA%2Band%2BEuropean%2BTectonic%2BPlates%2Bin%2BIceland%2BPulling%2BApart .jpg (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1mE8UMOBSc/WSLdVUQi0vI/AAAAAAAAMW0/0BqJjHsjSCELLbbNpgPVxjsQDG1ArDxEgCLcB/s1600/Aerial%2BPictures%2BShow%2BUSA%2Band%2BEuropean%2BTectonic%2BPlates%2Bin%2BIceland%2BPulling%2BApart .jpg)



The dramatic terrain - the join between two tectonic plates - is popular with tourists who can explore the natural wonder on land and underwater


Tourists look like toys in these bird's eye view photos which show an impressive split landscape where two lands meet [well, come apart, really].


The dramatic terrain - the joint between two tectonic plates (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_boundary) - is popular with tourists who can explore the natural wonder on land and underwater. The splits in the land, which has many faults, valleys, volcanoes and hot springs, are caused by the Eurasian and North American plates in Iceland pulling apart.

Some of the rifts are filled with clear cold water where divers can often be seen exploring the underwater crevices, which can be up to 61m (200ft) deep. The clean water is coloured by the sand, silt and other minerals at the bottom and the deeper rifts can be clearly seen from above.


https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zawsEBV_9fw/WSLhcmK740I/AAAAAAAAMXI/tgPQSpMtxCoXtC8oStfbX4gwvZdTxj8xwCLcB/s640/Some%2Bof%2Bthe%2Brifts%2Bare%2Bfilled%2Bwith%2Bclear%2Bcold%2Bwater%2Bwhere%2Bdivers%2Bcan%2Boften% 2Bbe%2Bseen%2Bexploring%2Bthe%2Bunderwater%2Bcrevices%252C%2Bwhich%2Bcan%2Bbe%2Bup%2Bto%2B61m%2B%252 8200ft%2529%2Bdeep.jpg (https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zawsEBV_9fw/WSLhcmK740I/AAAAAAAAMXI/tgPQSpMtxCoXtC8oStfbX4gwvZdTxj8xwCLcB/s1600/Some%2Bof%2Bthe%2Brifts%2Bare%2Bfilled%2Bwith%2Bclear%2Bcold%2Bwater%2Bwhere%2Bdivers%2Bcan%2Boften% 2Bbe%2Bseen%2Bexploring%2Bthe%2Bunderwater%2Bcrevices%252C%2Bwhich%2Bcan%2Bbe%2Bup%2Bto%2B61m%2B%252 8200ft%2529%2Bdeep.jpg)
Some of the rifts are filled with clear cold water where divers can often be seen exploring the underwater crevices, which can be up to 61m (200ft) deep



https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2YQxJ1oEyb8/WSLigYSOLPI/AAAAAAAAMXU/lUBKsXcVdX8gcxB33JJ6pU9qE98NxF0TQCLcB/s640/To%2Btake%2Bthe%2Bcolourful%2Bphotos%2BJassen%2BTodorov%252C%2B40%252C%2Bflew%2Bin%2Ba%2BCessna%2B17 0%2Bplane%2Baround%2B600m%2B%25282%252C000%2Bfeet%2529%2Bhigh.jpg (https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2YQxJ1oEyb8/WSLigYSOLPI/AAAAAAAAMXU/lUBKsXcVdX8gcxB33JJ6pU9qE98NxF0TQCLcB/s1600/To%2Btake%2Bthe%2Bcolourful%2Bphotos%2BJassen%2BTodorov%252C%2B40%252C%2Bflew%2Bin%2Ba%2BCessna%2B17 0%2Bplane%2Baround%2B600m%2B%25282%252C000%2Bfeet%2529%2Bhigh.jpg)
To take the colourful photos Jassen Todorov, 40, flew in a Cessna 170 plane around 600m (2,000 feet) high



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Iceland_Mid-Atlantic_Ridge_Fig16.gif


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Iceland_mid_atlantic_ridge.JPG/800px-Iceland_mid_atlantic_ridge.JPG

In Iceland the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Atlantic_Ridge#Notable_features) passes across the Þingvellir (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir) National Park, a popular destination for tourists



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Bridge_across_continents_iceland.jpg/1024px-Bridge_across_continents_iceland.jpg
Bridge across the Álfagjá (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lfagj%C3%A1) rift valley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rift_valley) in southwest Iceland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland), that is part of the boundary (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_boundary#Description) between the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates.

[Ba-ba-Ra]

I visited Iceland in September 2000. At that time we were told that the rift grows about 2 inches every year (this figure may have changed since then). That would mean that since I was there the rift has expanded by 34 inches, almost 3 feet.

My memory was at that time I could step across the rift in some places. Either my memory is bad (no surprise) or there has been a speeding up of the rift, or perhaps, it's width isn't consistent in every spot, which appear to be the case.

Thanks Herve, great pixs

[Foxie Loxie]

Marvelous pictures, Herve...Thanks so much!:highfive:

[Fellow Aspirant]

I visited a couple of years ago and was impressed by how insignificant the place made you feel. Such massive forces at work, on a time scale that defied the life times of mere humans.

If you're a fan of the series "Game of Thrones" (and who isn't?) you will have seen the features of this rift used many times as a setting, most notably during John Snow's first encounter with the White Walkers as they gazed down at him and his army from the heights of the wall of rock.
Very cool.

B.

[Gwin Ru]

Now cracks are opening up southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland… Eruption soon? (https://strangesounds.org/2021/03/cracks-southwest-reykjavik-iceland-eruption-volcanoes.html)

By Strange Sounds (https://strangesounds.org/author/admin) -
Mar 8, 2021

Now, cracks in the ground have been photographed southwest of Reykjavik, Iceland.


https://strangesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/fissure-cracks-iceland.jpg (https://strangesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/fissure-cracks-iceland.jpg)
Dozens of fissures are cracking the ground near Reykjavik. Picture by Gunnar Grimsson / warmarctic.is



The team of Warm Arctic (https://warmarctic.is/), an icelandic company spezializing in geothermal reservoir engineering, has pictured dozens of cracks in the ground, where an earthquake swarm is currently hitting the Reykjanes Peninsula…


The present geological context and history
Experts believe a volcanic eruption could take place in the Reykjanes Peninsula.

A large volume of magma is accumulating in this area of Iceland since about a year, causing the soil to lift by several centimeters and triggering numerous seismic swarms, getting always stronger. (https://strangesounds.org/2020/10/kamchatka-volcanic-eruption-iceland-seismic-swarm.html)

Since February 24, the situation has completely degenerated. Over 22,000 earthquakes have been recorded… Volcanic tremors too, prompting officials to raise the alert level of the Krysuvik volcano from green to orange overnight. (https://strangesounds.org/2021/02/strong-earthquake-swarm-iceland-reykjanes-peninsula.html)

Yesterday, a M5.7 and 6 M4is hit the region within the same hour… InSAR reveals ongoing dike formation in Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes peninsula.

1368589190850560000


Now, cracks have been found in the Thorbjorn area, a small volcanic building formed during a single eruptive event that took place around 24,000 years ago. That exact same volcano made the headlines last year because it was the center of the first crustal deformations (caused rising magma).

These fractures were observed near the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal area and one of Iceland’s most visited tourist attractions. Its water comes from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal plant, or better said, the volcanic system located west of Krysuvik.

1368924267132424192


Thorbjorn and Krysuvik haven’t erupted for centuries. So there’s lot of magma ready to blow and flow!

Meanwhile some argue the volcanoes will not erupt:

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