Iceland rebound

bwilson4web · Feb 2, 2015

Source: Climate driven vertical acceleration of Icelandic crust measured by CGPS geodesy - Compton - Geophysical Research Letters - Wiley Online Library

Abstract
Earth's present-day response to enhanced glacial melting resulting from climate change can be measured using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. We present data from 62 continuously operating GPS instruments in Iceland. Statistically significant upward velocity and accelerations are recorded at 27 GPS stations, predominantly located in the Central Highlands region of Iceland, where present-day thinning of the Iceland ice caps results in velocities of more than 30 mm/yr and uplift accelerations of 1-2 mm/yr2. We use our acceleration estimates to back-calculate to a time of zero velocity, which coincides with the initiation of ice loss in Iceland from ice mass balance calculations and Arctic warming trends. We show, through a simple inversion, a direct relationship between ice mass balance measurements and vertical position and show that accelerated unloading is required to reproduce uplift observations for a simple elastic layer over viscoelastic half-space model.
Click to expand...

One of the lay articles suggests this might lead to more volcanic activity which begs the question. Are Antarctic volcanic activity a by-product of over burden, ice loss?

That "30 mm/year" is an impressive rate but the question is whether or not there is molten rock close enough to exploit that motion . . . or even powering it.

Bob Wilson

austingreen · Feb 3, 2015

bwilson4web said: ↑

Source: Climate driven vertical acceleration of Icelandic crust measured by CGPS geodesy - Compton - Geophysical Research Letters - Wiley Online Library

Abstract
Earth's present-day response to enhanced glacial melting resulting from climate change can be measured using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. We present data from 62 continuously operating GPS instruments in Iceland. Statistically significant upward velocity and accelerations are recorded at 27 GPS stations, predominantly located in the Central Highlands region of Iceland, where present-day thinning of the Iceland ice caps results in velocities of more than 30 mm/yr and uplift accelerations of 1-2 mm/yr2. We use our acceleration estimates to back-calculate to a time of zero velocity, which coincides with the initiation of ice loss in Iceland from ice mass balance calculations and Arctic warming trends. We show, through a simple inversion, a direct relationship between ice mass balance measurements and vertical position and show that accelerated unloading is required to reproduce uplift observations for a simple elastic layer over viscoelastic half-space model.
Click to expand...

One of the lay articles suggests this might lead to more volcanic activity which begs the question. Are Antarctic volcanic activity a by-product of over burden, ice loss?

That "30 mm/year" is an impressive rate but the question is whether or not there is molten rock close enough to exploit that motion . . . or even powering it.

Bob Wilson
Click to expand...

There were 4 eruptions that are speculated to have been the start of a chain of events that led to the little ice age. Who knows this could be part of negative feedback that has stopped angry earth scenarios in the past, or could just be random.

Iceland rebound

bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

austingreen Senior Member

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Iceland rebound

bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

austingreen Senior Member