Jökull


Jökull - 01.12.1984, Side 24

Jökull - 01.12.1984, Side 24
orifice approached the lake surface. With this physical concept in mind one may want to look back at observations of earlier eruptions and jökulhlaups from Grímsvötn. During these events two processes are in progress, i.e. building of a cone and lowering of the lake level because of the jökulhlaup. The eruptions have usually been seen from the lowland about the time when the jökulhlaup is near its maximum. In light of the 1983 experience it seems Iikely that the erupt- ions did, in fact, begin a few days before they were seen, even possibly in some cases before the jökulhlaup began. The 1983 eruption was a small eruption, and yet it had a very distinct seismic signature, detec- table by many of the more sensitive seismographs in eastern and southern parts of Iceland. Seismographs of similar design have been in operation in this area since 1971, when a proto- type instrument was installed at Skammadalshóll (SK in Fig. 1). During this period of comparable seismographic coverage no activity resembling that of 1983 was detected in the Grímsvötn area. In particular we note that no earthquakes origin- ating in Grímsvötn were recorded by the perman- ent seismographs during the three jökulhlaups from Grímsvötn in 1972, 1976, and 1982. From the seismic evidence and the 1983 experience it therefore seems very unlikely that any volcanic eruptions occurred in connection with these jökulhlaups. This contrasts with the suggestion of Tómasson (1974), who found a peak in sediment load and dissolved solids during the 1972 jökul- hlaup that could not be explained by the maximum in water flow. The sediment consisted of volcanic glass from Grímsvötn, and Tómasson suggested that it could be explained as a result of a small subglacial eruption. In light of the seismic evi- dence one must find another mechanism to exp- lain a temporary increase in the sediment load, e.g. stirring up of the bottom sediment in Gríms- vötn, either by slumping, current erosion or sett- ling of the ice cover on the bottom as the water drains away. The seismicity pattern of Grímsvötn in 1983, with a long period of premonitory seismicity and qui- escence during and following the eruption, bears a close resemblance to the seismicity pattern of the Krafla Volcano in the rift zone in NE-Ice- land. This pattern is different from that of the Hekla Volcano in South Iceland, both associated with the 1970 eruption (Einarsson and Björnsson 1976) and the 1980-81 eruptions (Grönvold et al. 1983). Seismicity associated with the Heimaey eruption in 1973 also showed a different pattern (Einarsson and Björnsson 1979). Perhaps we are seeing a common feature of typical basaltic rift volcanoes, such as Krafla and Grímsvötn, where- as andesitic volcanoes such as Hekla and off-rift volcanoes such as Heimaey behave in a more individualistic way. AKN O WLED GEMENTS The seismic network used in this study is operated jointly by the Meteorological Office, the National Energy Authority and the Science Institute, Uni- versity of Iceland. Station attendants are thanked for their cooperation and interest. Special thanks are due to the station attendant at Skamma- dalshóll, Einar H. Einarsson, whose keen eye and persistence led to the discovery ofthe 1983 Gríms- vötn eruption. REFERENCES Björnsson, H. 1974: Explanation of jökulhlaups from Grímsvötn, Vatnajökull, Iceland. Jökull 24: 1-26. Björnsson, H. 1975: Subglacial water reservoirs, jökulhlaups and volcanic eruptions. Jökull 25: 1-14. Björnsson, H. 1977: The cause of jökulhlaups in the Skaftá River, Vatnajökull. Jökull 27: 71 — 78. Björnsson, H., S. Björnsson and Th. Sigurgeirs- son 1982: Penetration of water into hot rock boundaries of magma at Grímsvötn. Nature 295: 580-581. Björnsson, H. and H. Kristmannsdóttir 1984: The Grímsvötn geothermal area, Vatnajökull, Ice- land. Jökull 34: Einarsson, P. 1978: S-wave shadows in the Krafla caldera in NE-Iceland, evidence for a magma chamber in the crust. Bull. Volcanol. 41: 1—9. Einarsson, P. 1979: Travel times recorded at Icelandic seismograph stations during the Reykjanes Ridge Iceland Seismic Project (RRISP). Science Institute, University of Ice- land RH-79-10: 33pp. Einarsson, P. and S. Björnsson 1976: Seismic activity associated with the 1970 eruption of volcano Hekla in Iceland. Jökull 26: 8-19. 22 JÖKULL 34. ÁR
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