Plate Boundaries

Iceland sits astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, part of the undersea divergent system that is the locus of new crust formation. Iceland formed by the unique coincidence of the spreading boundary of the North American and Eurasian plates and a hotspot or mantle plume. This unique location is responsible for the tectonic activity that created and is constantly changing Iceland. As the plates moved apart, excessive eruptions of lava constructed volcanoes and filled rift valleys. Subsequent movement rifted these later lava fields, causing long, linear valleys bounded by parallel faults. These movements continue today, accompanied by earthquakes, reactivation of old volcanoes, and creation of new ones (Stesky, ‘00).

 This face of the earth digital elevation map (DEM) illustrates the topography that exists on the island and the bathymetry of the ocean floor surrounding Iceland. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (the light green linear feature) strikes NE/SW and is offset to the SE by a series of transform faults as it comes onshore on the SW side and is offset again in the north as it leaves. Arrows indicate the general direction of plate motion.

This website will focus on the processes that have contributed to the dynamic nature of the island. Tectonic processes that have created and continue to change the face of  Iceland. These include:

• Seismicity

• Mountain Building and Uplift

• Geodesy of Iceland

• Active Volcanics     

• The Effects of Tectonics of Coastlines

• 3-D View of the Icelandic Mantle Plume    

• Conclusions

• References                                   

Click on any of the hyperlinks above to learn about each topic as it applies to Iceland.

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