View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ESC Publications - Cambridge Univesity Article Volume 14, Number 7 29 July 2013 doi: 10.1002/ggge.20151 ISSN: 1525-2027 The 1874–1876 volcano-tectonic episode at Askja, North Iceland: Lateral flow revisited Margaret E. Hartley School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK (
[email protected]) Thor Thordarson School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavık, Iceland [1] The Askja volcanic system, North Iceland, experienced a volcano-tectonic episode between 1874 and 1876, the climax of which was a rhyolitic, phreatoplinian to Plinian eruption at Askja central volcano on 28–29 March 1875. Fissure eruptions also occurred in 1875, producing the Nyjahraun lava, 45–65 km north of Askja. The Nyjahraun basalt is indistinguishable, in terms of whole-rock major elements, from the small-volume basaltic eruptions that took place at Askja in the early 20th century. It has been suggested that all of these basalts originated from a shallow magma chamber beneath Askja, with the Nyjahraun eruptions being fed by northward-propagating lateral dykes. It has also been conjectured that the Holuhraun lava, located at the southern tip of the Askja volcanic system 15–25 km south of Askja, was connected with the 1874–1876 Askja volcano-tectonic episode. We re-examine these interpretations in light of new whole-rock, glass and melt inclusion analyses from samples collected along the length of the Askja volcanic system.