********************************
AVAILABILITY OF NEW BOOK ON ICELAND GEODYNAMICS
From: Robert I. Tilling <rtilling@xxxxxxxx>
********************************
Iceland is one of the few—as well as the largest, well-exposed, and
readily accessible—areas where Earth’s mid-oceanic ridge system emerges
above sea level. Because of this unique geologic setting, Iceland serves
as an ideal natural laboratory for comprehensive, multi-disciplinary
investigations of the active tectonic and volcanic processes associated
with divergent plate boundaries, along which about 75 % of the world’s
lava is erupted. Since it tops an inferred hotspot, Iceland also affords
a diagnostic locale to study the processes and products of the
interaction between a mantle plume and a mid-ocean ridge. Thus, the
monitoring, characterization, and interpretation of the seismicity,
crustal deformation, and volcanism in Iceland have immense transfer
value in understanding comparable dynamic processes operative along
other segments of the global 65,000 km-long mid-oceanic ridge
system—mostly hidden deep beneath the sea and logistically challenging
for detailed study.
For the reasons mentioned above, anyone interested in the tectonics and
volcanic activity along divergent plate boundaries will find quite
useful a recently published book by Dr. Freysteinn Sigmundsson that
succinctly synthesizes in a single volume the results of numerous
diverse studies made in Iceland in recent decades. The title of his book is:
ICELAND GEODYNAMICS: Crustal Deformation and Divergent Plate Tectonics
(2006, Springer-Praxis, Chichester, U.K., 209 pp not counting a 22-page
section of color illustrations; $ 169.00, as priced on
<springeronline.com>).
Formal reviews of this book doubtless will be forthcoming in the coming
months, but I simply wish to inform the volcanologic community of the
availability of this new reference work and to make some informal comments.
After completing his Ph.D. (1992) with Prof. Roger Bilham at the
University of Colorado, Dr. Sigmundsson worked at the Nordic
Volcanological Institute through 2004 (five years as Director,
1999-2004); he now is with the Nordic Volcanological Centre (Institute
of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland). Throughout his career, he has
focused on studies of crustal deformation and volcanology, and, not
surprisingly, this research thrust—utilizing conventional and
satellite-based geodetic techniques—pervades the book. While the linking
common thread of the book is clearly the monitoring of crustal
deformation, Sigmundsson nonetheless nicely balances his treatment by
furnishing relevant geological, seismological, and volcanological
contexts. The breadth of the book is evident from the wide range of
topics covered in the nine chapters: 1) Introduction; 2) Mantle
plume-mid-ocean ridge interaction in the North Atlantic; 3) Tectonic
framework; 4) Crustal structure of Iceland; 5) Volcano dynamics; 6) The
plate-spreading deformation cycle; 7) Breaking the crust: Seismicity and
faulting; 8) Glacial isostasy and sea-level change: Rapid vertical
movements and changes in volcanic production rates; and 9) Iceland
geodynamics: Outlook. In addition to a list of abbreviations and a brief
index, the book also contains two useful appendices: Appendix A. The
Icelandic Language (providing examples of transliterations of Icelandic
names for people and places); and Appendix B. Notation (of variables in
formulae that appear in the book).
Like seemingly all Icelandic scientists, Freysteinn Sigmundsson has a
masterful command of the English language even though it is not his
native tongue. Consequently, his tersely, but clearly, written slim
volume packs a wealth of information about the current state of
knowledge about Iceland geodynamics. There are no superfluous words in
his book! An added bonus is that Sigmudsson’s summary is not only
comprehensive but also fully up-to-date, including the thoughtful
analysis of studies published in the scientific literature as recently
as 2005. For example, in discussions concerning the inferred Iceland
mantle plume, Sigmundsson considers the divergent points expressed in
the current, ongoing vigorous scientific debate about the existence,
configuration (deep vs. non-deep), fixity, and longevity of mantle
plumes, as well as alternative models to explain Iceland and other
hotspots. In the Preface (p. xi), Sigmundsson hopes that his “…book will
provide a useful overview of selected aspects of Iceland geodynamics and
crustal deformation, provide insights into the physical processes of
spreading and related processes in general, and stimulate further
research on how the Earth deforms.” In my opinion, there is no doubt
whatsoever that his hope will be fully realized.
—Robert I. Tilling, Scientist Emeritus, Volcano Hazards Team
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025, U.S.A.
==============================================================
To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message:
signoff volcano
to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx
To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to:
volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments.
==============================================================
