Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Rare Earth Geochemistry of Iceland Basalts: Spatial and Temporal Variations

  • Chapter
Structure and Development of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge

Part of the book series: Nato Conference Series ((MARS,volume 8))

Abstract

There is a progressive secular decline in light-RE enrichment from Tertiary to Present, similar to that previously observed on the Faeroes 50–60mybp. Light-RE depleted oceanic type patterns appear on Iceland only within the last 0.7my. These results suggest pulsating mantle plume activity with time and provide further support to the blob model previously proposed for the origin of the Faeroes-Iceland-Greenland Ridge. Available Sr and Nd isotopic data are consistent with the model.

Regular spatial variations are observed within the SW and SE neovolcanic zones. (La/Sm) decreases and Mg-values increase toward Central Iceland in both zones but at a faster rate in the SE zone. These spatial variations and available isotopic and heat flow data are best explained by a temporal change in melting conditions due to southward propagations of rifts from Central Iceland, starting approximately 6mybp along the SW zone and more recently along the SE zone. The SW zone has now reached thermal maturity, and basalts derived from the upper mantle are composed of a mix of light-RE enriched plume material and depleted asthenospheric material. The SE zone is still in a transient stage of evolution, and lavas from the tip of the propagating rift are derived by melting of the older Late-Miocene lower crust-lithosphere, whereas in the northern part of the zone, lavas are derived from a mantle plume-asthenospheric mix now dominated by the latter type of material. In contrast, there is no geochemical evidence of rift propagation in northern Iceland, as no systematic variations have been observed along either the NE neovolcanic zone or the Skagi paleorift zone.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Moore, J.G. and J-G. Schilling, Contr. Mineral. & Petrol., 41,105, (1973)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Unni, C.K. and J-G. Schilling, Nature, 272, 19, (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Rowe, E.C. and J-G. Schilling, Nature, 279, 33, (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Schilling, J-G., Nature, 242, 565, (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hart, S.R., J-G. Schilling and J.L. Powell, Nature Phys. Sci., 246, 104, (1973).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sun, S-S., M. Tatsumoto and J-G. Schilling, Science, 190, 143, (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Schilling, J-G., M. Zajac, R. Evans, T. Johnston, W. White, J.D. Devine and R. Kingsley, Amer. J. Sci., sub. Feb., (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Palmason, G. and K. Saemundsson, Annual Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2, 25, (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ward, P.L., Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., 82, 2991, (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Saemundsson, K., Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., 85, 495, (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Saemundsson, K., Geol. J. Spec. Issue 10, 415, (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Saemundsson, K. Jokull, 29, 7, (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Aronson, J.R. and K. Saemundsson, Earth & Planet. Sci. Lett., 28, 83, (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schilling, J-G., H. Sigurdsson and R.H. Kingsley, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 3983, (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sigurdsson, H., J-G. Schilling and P.S. Meyer, J. Geophys. Res. 83, 3971, (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dagley, P., R.L. Wilson, J.M. Ade-Hall, G.P.L. Walker, S.E. Haggerty, T. Sigurgeirsson, N.D. Watkins, P.J. Smith, J. Edwards and R.L. Grasty, Nature, 216, 25, (1967).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. McDougall, T., N.D. Watkins and L. Kristjansson, Amer. J. Sci., 276, 1078, (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Watkins, N.D. and G.P.L. Walker, Amer. J. Sci., 277, 513, (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ross, T.G. and A.E. Mussett, Nature, 259, 36, (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. McDougall, I., K. Saemundsson, H. Johannesson, N.D. Watkins and L. Kristjansson, Bull. Soc. Amer., 88, 1, (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wilson, R.L., N.D. Watkins, T. Einarsson, T. Sigureirsson, S.E.Haggerty, P.J. Smith, P. Dagley and A.G. McCormack, Geophys. J.R. asr. Soc., 29, 459, (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Jakobsson, S.P., Lithos, 5, 365, (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Jakobsson, S.P., Acta Naturalia Islandica, 26, 1, (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Walker, G.P.L., Nature, 255, 468, (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Meyer, P.S., Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of Rhode Island, (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Vogt, P.R., Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett., 13, 153, (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sigvaldason, G.E., J. Petrol., 15, 497, (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. O’Nions, R.K. and K. Gronvold, Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett., 19, 397, (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wood, D.A., J.L. Joran, M. Treuil, N. Norry and J. Tarney, Contr. Mineral. Petrol., 70, 319, (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Schilling, J-G., J. Geophys. Res., 80, 1459, (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. O’Nions, R.K. and R.J. Pankhurst, Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett., 21, 13, (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. O’Nions, R.K., R.J. Pankhurst and K. Gronvold, J. Petrol., 17, 315, (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Reay, A. and P.G. Harris, Bull. Volcanol., 27, 115, (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Mysen, B.O. and I. Kushiro, Amn. Mineral., 62, 843, (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Scarfe, C.M., B.O. Mysen and C.S. Rai, Carnegie Inst. Yearbook, 78, 498, (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Sun, S-S. and B.J. Jahn, Nature, 255, 527, (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. Bailey, J.C. and A. Noe-Nygaard, Lithos, 9, 185, (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Zindler, A., S.R. Hart, S.P. Jakobsson, Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett,, 45, 249, (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Schilling, J-G. and A. Noe-Nygaard, Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett., 24, 1, (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Wood, D.A., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 43, 1031, (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Schilling, J-G, P.S. Meyer and R.H. Kingsley, sub. to Nature, (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Wood, D.A., J. Geophys. Res., 81, 4353, (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. Wood, D.A., J. Petrol., 19, 393, (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. O’Nions, R.K., P.J. Hamilton and N.M. Evensen, Earth & Planet. Sei. Lett., 34, 13, (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. Gariepy, C., J.N. Ludden, C. Brooks and N. Machado, EOS, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 62, (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  46. DePaolo, D.J., EOS, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 72, 137, (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Hoffman, A.W. and S.R. Hart, Earth and Planet. Sei. Lett., 8, 44, (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Vogt, P.R. and O.E. Avery, J. Geophys. Res., 79, 363, (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. Herron, E.M. and M. Talwani, Nature, 238, 390, (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. Schilling, J-G., in: “Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project”, 38, 741, (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  51. Hoffman, A.W. and W.M. White, Annual Report of the director of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Inst, of Wash. Yr. Book, 79, 477, (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Frey, F.A., D.H. Green and S.D. Roy, J. Petrol., 19, 463, (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Schilling, J-G., M.B. Bergeron and R. Evans, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A297, 147, (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. Condomines, M.P. Morand, C.J. Allegre and G. Sigvaldason, Earth and Planet. Sei., Lett., in press.

    Google Scholar 

  55. O’Nions, R.K., R.J. Pankhurst, I.B. Fridleifsson, and S.P. Jakobsson, Nature, 243, 213, (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  56. Oskarsson, N., G. Sigvaldasson and S. Steinthorsson, Nordic Volcanological Inst., 79, 05, (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  57. Palmason, G., Geophys. J.R. Astr., 33, 451, (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  58. Courtillot, V., P. Tapponnier and J. Varet, Tectonophysics, 24, 317, (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  59. McMaster, R.L., J-G. Schilling and P.R. Pinet, Nature, 269, 663, (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  60. Hey, R., F.K. Duennebier and W.J. Morgan, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 3647, (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  61. Sigurdsson, H., Earth and Planet. Sei. Lett., 10, 129, 1970.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  62. Johannesson, H., Natturufraedingurinn, 50, 13, (1980).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I., 02881, USA

    J-G. Schilling, P. S. Meyer & R. H. Kingsley

Authors
  1. J-G. Schilling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. S. Meyer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. H. Kingsley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Durham, Durham, UK

    Martin H. P. Bott

  2. Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Svend Saxov

  3. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York, USA

    Manik Talwani

  4. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Jörn Thiede

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1983 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Schilling, JG., Meyer, P.S., Kingsley, R.H. (1983). Rare Earth Geochemistry of Iceland Basalts: Spatial and Temporal Variations. In: Bott, M.H.P., Saxov, S., Talwani, M., Thiede, J. (eds) Structure and Development of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge. Nato Conference Series, vol 8. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3485-9_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3485-9_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3487-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3485-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation