TY - JOUR
T1 - A half-century of geologic and geothermic investigations in Iceland
T2 - The legacy of Kristján Sæmundsson
AU - Voight, Barry
AU - Clifton, Amy
AU - Hjartarson, Árni
AU - Steingrímsson, Benedikt
AU - Brandsdóttir, Bryndís
AU - Rodríguez, Carolina
AU - McGarvie, David
AU - Sigmundsson, Freysteinn
AU - Ívarsson, Gretar
AU - Friðleifsson, Guðmundur Ómar
AU - Larsen, Guðrún
AU - Jónsdóttir, Guðrún Sigríður
AU - Noll, Horst
AU - McDougall, Ian
AU - Kaldal, Ingibjörg
AU - Friðleifsson, Ingvar Birgir
AU - Aronson, James L.
AU - Karson, Jeffrey A.
AU - Grönvold, Karl
AU - Young, Kirby D.
AU - Kristjánsson, Leó
AU - Sigurgeirsson, Magnús
AU - Guðmundsson, Magnús Tumi
AU - Jancin, Mark
AU - Flóvenz, Ólafur G.
AU - Einarsson, Páll
AU - Williams, Richard S.
AU - Buck, Roger
AU - Pálmadóttir, Sigríður
AU - Friedrich, Walter
N1 - Funding Information:
The complete and enthusiastic support to this paper by the staffs of ÍSOR and Haskolí Íslands, among others, is most greatly appreciated. Most co-authors had the pleasure of working with Kristján, and the author list includes several classmates of the Ísland research group assembled at Köln University by Professor Martin Schwarzbach around 1960, who are happy to share memories of Kristján's adventures as a student. Fortunately during the last years of World War 2 the Royal Air Force had enabled just enough of the foundations of Freiburg and Köln to survive and facilitate reconstruction, and Kristján had taken advantage of this situation a decade after the war ended. Jörg Keller kindly provided a perspective of Kristján's days at Freiburg in the 1950s. The 1970s are also represented here by several colleagues, and many more reflect the decades since then up to the present. Kristján did not participate in providing information for this paper; the project was an undercover operation and kept as a surprise for him. Brynja Jónsdóttir once reminded BV that “ Kristján is not that kind of a person who likes the spot light! ” BV recognizes this as an understatement, and that it's more accurate to say that he expressly takes pains to avoid it! Brynja Jónsdóttir of the ÍSOR public relation staff, and Linda Musser and Aaron W. Procius of the Penn State library staff, gave BV substantial continued support for this project, and he is most grateful for this. Oddur Sigurðsson of Veðurstofu Íslands contributed important aerial photographs from his unique collection. ÍSOR generously supported the use of colored maps for the print versions of this article. Joint research by KS and BV in years past was supported by NSF Tectonics Program grants to BV, and by Orkustofnun. Special debts are owed to wonderful friends found by Kristján, the Skírnir Jónsson family at their Dalsmynni farm, and Örn and Erla at Brettingsstaðir, who opened their door to provide exceedingly generous hospitality. BV recalls too a memory of Feikja and Sonia H. Opzoomer Talma of Heerenveen (Netherlands) on the breaking surf of Surtsey in the same year he met Kristján. And also my daughters Barbara and Lisa on a stormy night at Siglufjördur, John Barry, reminding of the rugged Celtic Íslanders and their spirit of resolution and adventure, Jim Ewart with Kodak Developing Fluid in Flateyjardalur, Alex Mann probing for potatoes in Dalsmynni, and Nebil Orkan netting fish near Húsavik then, and now from some Anatolian shore.
Funding Information:
The complete and enthusiastic support to this paper by the staffs of ?SOR and Haskol? ?slands, among others, is most greatly appreciated. Most co-authors had the pleasure of working with Kristj?n, and the author list includes several classmates of the ?sland research group assembled at K?ln University by Professor Martin Schwarzbach around 1960, who are happy to share memories of Kristj?n's adventures as a student. Fortunately during the last years of World War 2 the Royal Air Force had enabled just enough of the foundations of Freiburg and K?ln to survive and facilitate reconstruction, and Kristj?n had taken advantage of this situation a decade after the war ended. J?rg Keller kindly provided a perspective of Kristj?n's days at Freiburg in the 1950s. The 1970s are also represented here by several colleagues, and many more reflect the decades since then up to the present. Kristj?n did not participate in providing information for this paper; the project was an undercover operation and kept as a surprise for him. Brynja J?nsd?ttir once reminded BV that ?Kristj?n is not that kind of a person who likes the spot light!? BV recognizes this as an understatement, and that it's more accurate to say that he expressly takes pains to avoid it!, Brynja J?nsd?ttir of the ?SOR public relation staff, and Linda Musser and Aaron W. Procius of the Penn State library staff, gave BV substantial continued support for this project, and he is most grateful for this. Oddur Sigur?sson of Ve?urstofu ?slands contributed important aerial photographs from his unique collection. ?SOR generously supported the use of colored maps for the print versions of this article. Joint research by KS and BV in years past was supported by NSF Tectonics Program grants to BV, and by Orkustofnun. Special debts are owed to wonderful friends found by Kristj?n, the Sk?rnir J?nsson family at their Dalsmynni farm, and ?rn and Erla at Brettingssta?ir, who opened their door to provide exceedingly generous hospitality. BV recalls too a memory of Feikja and Sonia H. Opzoomer Talma of Heerenveen (Netherlands) on the breaking surf of Surtsey in the same year he met Kristj?n. And also my daughters Barbara and Lisa on a stormy night at Siglufj?rdur, John Barry, reminding of the rugged Celtic ?slanders and their spirit of resolution and adventure, Jim Ewart with Kodak Developing Fluid in Flateyjardalur, Alex Mann probing for potatoes in Dalsmynni, and Nebil Orkan netting fish near H?savik then, and now from some Anatolian shore.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018
PY - 2020/2/1
Y1 - 2020/2/1
N2 - One of the World's premier field geologists, Kristján Sæmundsson led immense geological mapping programs and authored or co-authored nearly all geological maps of Iceland during the past half century, including the first modern bedrock and tectonic maps of the whole country. These monumental achievements collectively yield the most inclusive view of an extensional plate boundary anywhere on Earth. When Kristján began his work in 1961, the relation of Iceland to sea-floor spreading was not clear, and plate tectonics had not yet been invented. Kristján resolved key obstacles by demonstrating that the active rifting zones in Iceland had shifted over time and were linked by complex transforms to the mid-ocean spreading ridge, thus making the concept of sea-floor spreading in Iceland acceptable to those previously skeptical. Further, his insights and vast geological and tectonic knowledge on both high- and low-temperature geothermal areas in Iceland yielded a major increase in knowledge of geothermal systems, and probably no one has contributed more than he to Icelandic energy development. Kristján's legacy is comprised by his numerous superb maps on a variety of scales, the high quality papers he produced, the impactful ideas generated that were internationally diffused, and the generations of colleagues and younger people he inspired, mentored, or otherwise positively influenced with his knowledge and generous attitude.
AB - One of the World's premier field geologists, Kristján Sæmundsson led immense geological mapping programs and authored or co-authored nearly all geological maps of Iceland during the past half century, including the first modern bedrock and tectonic maps of the whole country. These monumental achievements collectively yield the most inclusive view of an extensional plate boundary anywhere on Earth. When Kristján began his work in 1961, the relation of Iceland to sea-floor spreading was not clear, and plate tectonics had not yet been invented. Kristján resolved key obstacles by demonstrating that the active rifting zones in Iceland had shifted over time and were linked by complex transforms to the mid-ocean spreading ridge, thus making the concept of sea-floor spreading in Iceland acceptable to those previously skeptical. Further, his insights and vast geological and tectonic knowledge on both high- and low-temperature geothermal areas in Iceland yielded a major increase in knowledge of geothermal systems, and probably no one has contributed more than he to Icelandic energy development. Kristján's legacy is comprised by his numerous superb maps on a variety of scales, the high quality papers he produced, the impactful ideas generated that were internationally diffused, and the generations of colleagues and younger people he inspired, mentored, or otherwise positively influenced with his knowledge and generous attitude.
KW - Geochronology
KW - Geomagnetism
KW - Geothermal activity
KW - Iceland
KW - Mid-ocean ridge
KW - Plate tectonics
KW - Rift tectonics
KW - Sea-floor spreading
KW - Transform fault
KW - Volcanic eruption
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.08.012
DO - 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.08.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85054158612
SN - 0377-0273
VL - 391
JO - Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
JF - Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
M1 - 106434
ER -