HR: 1330h
AN: V42B-0365    [PDF]
TI: Facies analysis of Hlodufell basaltic subglacial to emergent volcano, SW Iceland: insights into sub-ice growth mechanisms and meltwater drainage
AU: * Skilling, I P
EM: skilling@pitt.edu
AF: University of Pittsburgh, Dept of Geology and Planetary Science, 200 SRCC, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 United States
AB: Hlodufell is a subglacial to emergent basaltic volcano located 9km south of the Langjokull ice-cap in SW Iceland. This study is the first detailed facies analysis of this well-known volcano. The vertical facies architecture of the basal half of the volcano is typical of many basaltic subaqueous (including submarine) to emergent volcanoes, comprising basal pillow mounds overlain by Surtseyan eruption-fed subaqueously-deposited sediment gravity flows. However, facies in the upper part of the edifice demonstrate the influence of variable water levels more typical of englacial lakes. The Surtseyan sequence is overlain by two subaerial lava flow and cogenetic lava-fed delta sequences, separated by a second Surtseyan sequence. In addition, the uppermost lava flows are also draped by a thin veneer of Surtseyan tephra. Both lava-fed delta sequences are unusually dominated by subaerial lava breccias. This may be due to a number of factors that influence steep slope stability but the possibility of retreating ice walls should be considered. Detailed facies analysis also revealed evidence of the influence of ice on eruptive and depositional products throughout the history of the edifice. Some of the basal pillow mounds preserve metre-sized cavities with partial hyaloclastite fills, interpreted as meltout structures formed during sub-ice growth by ice-block stoping. Some mounds also have steep chill surfaces where pillows have been compressed against a rigid wall (now absent) interpreted as ice. The peripheral pillow mounds, particularly those to the immediate south of Hlodufell (Rani area) are draped by Surtseyan eruption-fed tephra deposited by erosive meltwater streamflows. The draping tephra was derived from both the first and second Surtseyan sequences. These observations illustrate that direct ice-contact and ice-block stoping was important during initial construction of the volcano and that meltwater drainage (particularly to the south) was important throughout its history.
DE: 8414 Eruption mechanisms
DE: 8499 General or miscellaneous
SC: Volcanology, Geochemistry, Petrology [V]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting