Abstract
The volcanic eruption that began on 19 March 2021 at Fagradalsfjall is
the first one to occur on the Reykjanes Peninsular for nearly 800 years
and in Fagradalsfjall for about 6000 years. The feeder-dike was injected
from a magma reservoir whose top is at about 10 km depth below the
surface (but the reservoir itself reaches much greater depths). The dike
formation involved at least two roof ruptures and resulting dike
segments. The first occurred on 24 February and the second on 14 March
2021. The first rupture, marked by earthquakes of M23 close to the
contact between the roof and the magma, occurred in the eastern half of
the toppart of the reservoir. An injected dike segment propagated
towards the surface but became arrested at the depths of 0.5-2 km. As
its vertical propagation became arrested, while continuing to receive
magma, the segment spread laterally, reaching an overall maximum dike
strike-dimension (length) of about 10 km. The second rupture, also
marked by earthquakes of M2-3, occurred about 1 km to the west of the
first rupture. The injected dike segment following the second rupture
eventually resulted in the dike propagating to the surface to feed the
eruption which started on 19 March. We estimate the average vertical
rate of the feeder-dike propagation at about 0.02 m s-1. This is an
order of magnitude lower than common rates of lateral dike propagation
in rift zones, yet similar to the average rate during the Bardarbunga
(Iceland) 2014 dike propagation (around 0.04 m s-1). The initial
volcanic fissure fed by the second dike segment had a length of less
than 200 m and an opening of a fraction of a metre. Subsequently,
several more ‘dike-fingers’ reached the surface and generated volcanic
fissure segments. The total length of the discontinuous, segmented
fissure is many hundred metres – but only one crater is presently
active. Using the aspect ratio of the fissure and basic fracture
mechanics, we estimate the magmatic overpressure (driving pressure) at
the beginning of the eruption as about 3 MPa. The low driving pressure
and small fissure opening displacement and length are in harmony with
the very low volumetric flow (effusion) rate of about 10 m3 s-1.