Dept. of Geology, Colby College Patrick Deniger & Cameron Hillier Surtsey, Iceland
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, 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 m in diameter and m 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
Abnormal Temperatures were observed in April of 1968 but began to slowly cool since : Experimental hole drilled to a depth of 180 meters Temperature measurements are routinely carried out Western Crater of Surtsey has partially conserved its heat, but has rapidly cooled since the summer of 1986
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
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