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Title: Post-glacial rebound and asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland

Abstract

During the Weichselian glaciation Iceland was covered with an ice cap which caused downward flexure of the Earth's surface. The post-glacial rebound in Iceland was very rapid, being completed in about 1,000 years. The length of this time interval constrains the maximum value of asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland to be 1 {times} 10{sup 19} Pa s or less. Further clarification of the ice retreat and uplift history may reveal lower viscosity. Current changes in the mass balance of Icelandic glaciers must lead to measurable elevation changes considering this low viscosity. Expected current elevation changes around the Vatnajoekull ice cap are of the order of 1 cm per year, due to mass balance change in this century.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5558811
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18:6; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; ICELAND; GROUND UPLIFT; AGE ESTIMATION; CARBON 14; GEOLOGIC HISTORY; GEOLOGY; GLACIERS; ICE CAPS; MASS BALANCE; REMOVAL; TIME DEPENDENCE; VISCOSITY; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBON ISOTOPES; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; EUROPE; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; ICE; ISLANDS; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; NUCLEI; RADIOISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 580000* - Geosciences

Citation Formats

Sigmundsson, F. Post-glacial rebound and asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland. United States: N. p., 1991. Web. doi:10.1029/91GL01342.
Sigmundsson, F. Post-glacial rebound and asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/91GL01342
Sigmundsson, F. 1991. "Post-glacial rebound and asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/91GL01342.
@article{osti_5558811,
title = {Post-glacial rebound and asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland},
author = {Sigmundsson, F},
abstractNote = {During the Weichselian glaciation Iceland was covered with an ice cap which caused downward flexure of the Earth's surface. The post-glacial rebound in Iceland was very rapid, being completed in about 1,000 years. The length of this time interval constrains the maximum value of asthenosphere viscosity in Iceland to be 1 {times} 10{sup 19} Pa s or less. Further clarification of the ice retreat and uplift history may reveal lower viscosity. Current changes in the mass balance of Icelandic glaciers must lead to measurable elevation changes considering this low viscosity. Expected current elevation changes around the Vatnajoekull ice cap are of the order of 1 cm per year, due to mass balance change in this century.},
doi = {10.1029/91GL01342},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5558811}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)},
issn = {0094-8276},
number = ,
volume = 18:6,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991},
month = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991}
}