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Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of a 2.9-km composite lava section in Eyjafjördur, Northern Iceland: a reconnaissance study

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Abstract

Eight mountainside profiles in lava flows south of the fjord Eyjafjördur, Northern Iceland, were sampled for paleomagnetic studies. The sampling was concurrent with pilot stratigraphic mapping of the lava sequences in these and several supplementary profiles. The eight profiles are correlated with minor overlaps so that they form a composite section of 2.9 km thickness, estimated to cover the age range between about 9 and 5 million years ago (Hardarson et al. 1999). Paleomagnetic measurements made on 319 lavas generally yield primary remanence directions of high stability and within-unit consistency. Evidence for at least 17 reversals of the geomagnetic field is seen, as well as numerous field excursions. Frequent clustering of directions in successive lavas indicates that the volcanism was episodic.

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Acknowledgements

Several people assisted in the mapping, sampling, and paleomagnetic measurements reported in this paper. They include Haukur Johannesson, Thordis Högnadottir, Sigurdur Jonsson, Stuart Hartley, Vala Hjörleifsdottir, Eydis S. Eiriksdottir, Dadi Thorbjörnsson, Matthildur Stefansdottir, and Eyjolfur Magnusson. We particularly wish to thank Geirfinnur Jonsson for his painstaking computer work with the diagrams and tables. Comments by J. G. Fitton and B. Upton as well as by the Journal’s two anonymous reviewers resulted in considerable improvement of the manuscript. This study was in part supported by the Science Fund of the National Research Council of Iceland, the University of Iceland Research Fund, and by NERC (GS/02/673).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, 107, Reykjavík, Iceland

    Leo Kristjansson

  2. JFS Geological Services, Raudagerdi 31, 108 , Reykjavik, Iceland

    Agust Gudmundsson

  3. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW, UK

    Björn S. Hardarson

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  1. Leo Kristjansson
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  2. Agust Gudmundsson
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  3. Björn S. Hardarson
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Correspondence to Leo Kristjansson.

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Kristjansson, L., Gudmundsson, A. & Hardarson, B.S. Stratigraphy and paleomagnetism of a 2.9-km composite lava section in Eyjafjördur, Northern Iceland: a reconnaissance study. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 93, 582–595 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0409-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-004-0409-4

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