Dike emplacement at Brarbunga, Iceland,

induces unusual stress changes, caldera

deformation, and earthquakes

Agust Gudmundsson, Nora Lecoeur and Nahid Mohajeri

Bull Volcano 1(2014) 76:869. DOI 10.1007/s00445-014-0869-8

Presented by: Ika Wahyu Utami ( )

105622604

Advisor: Dr. K. I. Konstantinou

Volcano Seismology Research Group
Outline

Introduction
Volcano-tectonic Framework
Stress Effects of the Dike on nearby Volcanoes
Discussion
Conclussions
Introduction

Iceland is situated in the middle

of the North Atlantic, at the
junction between Reykjanes and
Kolbeinsey Ridge

The Iceland mantle

plume position
Volcanism on Iceland is confined to 3 axial rifts and 2 intra-plate volcanic belts

Northern Volcanic Zone

Snaefellsnes
Belt

Western Volcanic Oraefi Belt

Zone
Eastern
Volcanic
Zone
 The volcanic zones and
belts feature, discrete 30
volcanic system that
consist of a fissure
swarm, central volcano,
or both.

Location of 2 weeks seismicity and stress changes (at the boundary between EVZ and NVZ).
 At 64.70, the
direction of the
2 weeks of seismicity and
dike changed
stress changes induced
strike from
by a propagating
N450E to N150E
regional-scale dike

(17,000 EQs)

23 km

22 km
The concentrated
stress has deformed
the volcanoes,
resulting numerous
EQ (M5 in Bb)
Main Goal of the Study

1. To understand the interaction between the regional and local

stress fields controlled volcano-tectonic events of the first 2
weeks of the magmatic event.

2. To explain the earthquake activity in the nearby volcanoes,

with a focus on the Bb, through a new analytical and
numerical models of the dike-induced stresses.
Volcano-Tectonic Framework
Dikes in Iceland:

Local swarms of inclined

sheets (cone sheets) and radial
dikes
Very dense , containing thousands
of dikes and inclined sheets
(thickness is 0.5 m)
Confined to central volcano
The dip distribution has 2 peaks:
7590 (for radial dikes)
2050 (for inclined sheets).
Regional swarms of dikes
The regional dikes, occur in
elongated swarms:
Tens of kilometres long
10 20 km wide
outside the central volcanoes.
 Most volcanic systems in
Iceland are supplied with
magma from a double
magma chamber

Radial dikes and inclined sheets: injected from shallow magma chamber
Regional dikes: injected from the deep-seated magma reservoir
Example of Regional Dikes:

Some of the dikes in East Iceland have been mapped along

their strike for distances of more than 20 km. The long dikes
vary in thickness along their strike (610 m thick)

At 64.70, the direction of

the dike changed strike
from N240E to N30E

The closest well-exposed regional dikes to

the present one are in East Iceland,
including the dikes of the Alftafjrdur
Swarm (thickness 4 m).
The similarity in direction change and at the same latitude between:

The change in the

regional stress field
between the S- and the
N- part has occurred at
64.70 this latitude since 10 Ma
Stress Effects of the Dike on Nearby Volcanoes

Can be taken as crude

Central volcano in indications of the lateral
Iceland cross-sectional shapes of
(Particularly the associated magma
Calderas)
chambers

Shallow magma
chamber

Tops of shallow
Detected from
magma chambers
geodetic and 2 5 km depth
(1.5 - 2 km): mafic
seismic studies
and felsic plutons
 Our focus. Why?

Bb has been subject to the

greatest stress effects and EQ
activity ( M5)

Calderas tend to change their

shapes with time, because of:
Stress concentration
Breakout effects

may not reflect the exact cross-

sectional shape of shallow
magma chamber.
Step for Magma Chamber Modelling:

Cavities
Initially in lithostatic
Magma chambers
equilibrium with the
modelling
host rock
Holes (2D)

For simplification, assume the Bb magma

chamber to be CIRCULAR

The overpressure (driving

pressure) in the dike at 10 km
depth in the crust: 10 MPa.

Regional dike is injected from

a magma reservoir (at depth
of 2025 km or more).
Theory of Circular Holes and Stress Measurements:

In the case of circular holes, the x = y, the

magnitude of max tensile stress:

y
If the rock body containing the hole is large in comparison with the
hole, then the circumferential tensile stress is given by:

= (1 2 cos 2) 0

90 Max tensile stress 270

Min tensile stress

0 180 360
Analyzing the Bb shallow magma chamber:

Consider a 2-D stress field around a

vertical (why?) circular hole subject to
biaxial compressive stress where the angle Min
Max horizontal
is the polar coordinate. Then the horizontal stress
circumferential compressive stress: stress

max (=0 and 180) is given by

(1)

min (=90 and 270 ) is given by

(2)

Minimal circumferential compressive stress = Maximum

circumferential tensile stress
Explanation for Analytical Model:

The Bb chamber initially in lithostatic

equilibrium so the H=h=0

270
0
The H reaches 10 MPa the condition
180 H>3h (Eq 2) is satisfied and tensile stress
90 is induced at points = 90 and 270

Point where the Rupture resulting in normal faulting and

tensile stress reaches dike emplacement (also in = 270)
its max
 Eq. (1): at points =0 and 180, the
compressive stress concentration becomes
high the shear strength of the rock is
reached

Resulting breakouts and may change the 270

shape calderas and gradually chambers from 0
circular to elliptical

180
90

The concentration of compressive and shear

stress results primarily in reverse faulting
 Numerical Model:
Numerical models (2-D), provide results in excellent agreement with
the analytical solutions:

The dike induced tensile stress is

raised at the W-NW boundary of the
Bb magma chamber early in the
episode but concentrates primarily at
the SE boundary
The maximum compressive
stress concentrates at the N-
NE and S-SE part of the
chamber/ring-faultThe
compressive stress also
shifted along the boundary as
the dike propagated.
 The shear stress also
concentrates at the boundary
and shifted as the dike
propagated to the northeast.
Trajectories of H suggest that EQ is due to reverse faulting that occur on N-NE
striking faults (striking perpendicular to H) whereas many normal-faulting
earthquakes, and possible ring-dike injections, occur on NW-striking faults
(striking parallel to H).
Discussion

Bb and Tungafellsjkull, are

primarily subject to high
horizontal compressive and shear
stresses induced by the magmatic
overpressure in the dike
 The analytical and
numerical models
thus focus on Bb
and explain the
common reverse
faulting roughly
along the N-NE
and S-SE
segments of the
ring-fault/chamber
boundary.
The strike of many of the active reverse faults is likely to be roughly
NE, and commonly reverse displacement along reactivated normal
faults, whereas a ring-dike might form parallel to these caldera
segments.
The high dike-induced stress concentration at Bb makes the volcano possible will
experience a caldera collapse, particularly if major ring dyke becomes injected.

.
Bb eruption would be likely as flow
of magma along the path of the
radial dike towards and into the
regional dike

add magma and pressure

trigger further propagation of the

regional dike
References

Gudmundsson, Agust., Lecoeur, Nora., Mohajeri, Nahid. 2014. Dike

emplacement at Brarbunga, Iceland, induced unusual stress
changes, caldera deformation, and earthquakes. Bull Volcano 1
(2014) 76:869. doi: 10.1007/s0044-014-08698.

Gudmundsson, Agust. (2012). Magma chambers: Formation, local

stresses, excess pressures, and compartments. Journal of
Volcanology and Geothermal Research 237-238:19-41.

Gudmundsson, Agust. (2011). Rock fractures in geological processes.

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.