The link between volcanism and deglaciation in Iceland

Abstract

Temporal variation in the eruption rate and lava composition in the rift zones of Iceland is associated with deglaciation. Average eruption rates after the end of the last glacial period, ∼12 kyr BP, were up to 100 times higher than those from both the glacial period and recent times (<5 kyr BP). This peak in volcanic activity finished less than 2 kyr after the end of deglaciation. New geochemical data from ∼80 basalt and picrite samples from the Theistareykir and Krafla volcanic systems show that there is a temporal variation in both the major and trace element composition of the eruptions. Early postglacial eruptions show a greater range in MgO contents than eruptions from other times, and at a fixed MgO content, the concentration of incompatible elements in subglacial eruptions is higher than that in early postglacial eruptions. Recent eruptions from the Krafla system have similar compositions to subglacial eruptions. The high eruption rates and low rare earth element (REE) concentrations in the lava from early postglacial times can be accounted for by increased melt generation rates in the shallow mantle caused by unloading of an ice sheet. Magma chamber processes such as crystallization and assimilation can produce the temporal variation in REE contents if garnet is present. However, garnet is not observed as a phenocryst or xenocryst phase and is not required to match the variation in major element contents observed at Krafla and Theistareykir. If the increase in eruption rates reflects increased melt production rates in the mantle, then the relative timing of deglaciation and the burst in eruption rates can be used to estimate the rate of melt transport in the mantle. The observed duration of enhanced eruption rates after deglaciation can be reproduced if the vertical melt extraction velocity is >50 m yr−1.