Iceland is a volcanic island located on the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates, an area of active tectonic movement. From a plate tectonics perspective, Iceland is important for geologic research and is considered a unique place to observe the expansion of the two plates and the formation of new crust.
Iceland is a volcanic island with very active tectonic movements such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Measuring approximately 540 kilometers from east to west and 350 kilometers from north to south, Iceland is covered in lava, some of which has accumulated over the past 20,000 years. The country’s stunning natural environment is one of the main factors that attracts tourists from all over the world. In particular, the unique terrain and hot springs formed by the volcanic landscape are heavily utilized as a natural tourism resource in Iceland. Thanks to active tectonic movements, Icelanders make the most of their geology by heating with volcanic heat, growing crops with hot spring water, and generating electricity with volcanic steam. This approach to resource utilization has contributed greatly to Iceland’s position as a sustainable, resource-efficient country.
From a plate tectonic perspective, Iceland’s geologic position is unique. The Earth’s surface is made up of more than a dozen plates, both large and small. Iceland is located on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates. On the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a long mountain range that stretches from the Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of Africa. This boundary is where continental and oceanic plates meet and move away from each other, making it an area of active tectonic movement. Iceland, a part of the mid-Atlantic Ridge that is exposed above sea level, is part of the North American Plate to the west and the Eurasian Plate to the east, making it geographically one country but geologically on two different plates. Because of this, geologic phenomena that are rare elsewhere on Earth often occur in Iceland.
There are many places on Earth that are plate boundaries. However, Iceland is a rare area where two plates extend over land. This makes it an important object of study for scientists, and various geological studies are constantly being conducted. At the plate boundary where Iceland is located, the two plates are moving away from each other as new rocks are created. As a result, Iceland exhibits geologic phenomena that are rarely seen at other plate boundaries. Scientists have observed that the rift in the mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs through the center of Iceland, is widening at a rate of about 15 centimeters per year. This rift is constantly creating new oceanic crust as hot magma rises from the bottom of the oceanic crust, and this new oceanic crust becomes part of the moving plates. As a result, the North American and Eurasian plates are slowly expanding from the mid-Atlantic Ridge, where Iceland is located.
Iceland is also of interest because it has a reference point from which the absolute speed of the plates can be measured. Scientists measure the speed of plate movement by estimating the change in distance over time of the Eurasian plate relative to the North American plate. However, the velocity of the plates is determined by measuring the velocity of another plate moving on top of the moving plate. This is the relative velocity, or the speed of the plates when one plate is assumed to be at rest. The scientists weren’t satisfied with the relative velocity, they wanted to know the absolute velocity of the plates, which is the speed at which the plates are moving relative to a reference point on Earth. To find the absolute velocity of a plate, you need an external, fixed reference point that is independent of the plate’s motion. Scientists found that hot spots, the sources of magma deep in Earth’s interior mantle, are nearly immobile and used them as a reference point to find the absolute velocity of the plates. These studies provide important clues to understanding the formation and evolution of the Earth, and will continue to be of interest to many researchers. Scientists have so far identified more than 100 hot spots on Earth, one of which is located in Iceland.
