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Submarine Explosive Volcanism at the Northern Reykjanes Ridge

Jonas Preine1,2, Christian Hübscher1, Dominik Pałgan3, Froukje M. van der Zwan4, Carina Dittmers1, Annalena Friedrich1, Sarah Beethe5, Vanessa Ehlies1, Jonathan Ford1,6, Benedikt Haimerl1, Lisa Ischebeck1, Max Lackner1, Maryse Schmidt1, Jan Oliver Eisermann7,8, Linus Budke9, David Þór Óðinsson10, Nico Augustin11

  • Affiliations: 1Institute of Geophysics, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany 2Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA 02543, USA 3Department of Geophysics, University of Gdansk, al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland 4Department of Physical Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia 5College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97333, USA 6National Institute for Oceanography and Applied Geophysics -- OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/C, 34010, Sgonico (TS), Italy 7Institute of Geosciences, Marine Geophysics and Hydroacoustics, Kiel University, Otto-Hahn-Platz 1, 24118 Kiel, Germany 8Center for Ocean and Society, Kiel University, Fraunhofer Str. 16, 24118 Kiel, Germany 9Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany 10Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland 11GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischofstraße 1-3, 24148 Kiel, Germany 

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Tuesday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 155

  • Programme No: 3.5.14

  • Theme 3 > Session 5

Abstract

Submarine volcanic eruptions represent significant risks to coastal populations, marine ecosystems, and global transportation networks. Despite these threats, the dynamics, recurrence, and spatial distribution of submarine explosive activity remain poorly understood. This is particularly critical in shallow marine environments, where interactions between magma and seawater can lead to highly explosive eruptions capable of generating tsunamis, pyroclastic flows, expansive pumice rafts, and widespread ash clouds. We will present new high-resolution seismic reflection data that, combined with bathymetry and seabed imaging, allow us to examine the genesis of volcanic features at the Northern Reykjanes Ridge. The seismic profiles reveal volcanic edifices with low width-height ratios, stratified outward-dipping layers, and extensive volcaniclastic aprons. These features rest atop a glacially eroded unconformity, suggesting their formation during the Holocene. Our analysis indicates that many of these edifices formed through shallow explosive eruptions, with some breaching the sea surface to form transient islands documented in historical records. By comparing the seismic images of these volcanic structures with submarine volcanoes from the Azores and Aegean regions, we define the seismic signature of three primary types of submarine volcanic eruptions: (1) deep-water explosive eruptions, (2) shallow-water explosive eruptions, and (3) Surtseyan eruptions. This classification provides a framework for recognizing eruption styles based on seismic characteristics that may be applicable globally. Our findings emphasize the potential risks of renewed volcanic activity along the Reykjanes Ridge, including tsunami generation, atmospheric ash dispersal, and the formation of floating pumice rafts.