Hydrothermal Evolution of the Nesjavellir Hightemperature System, Iceland
- Key words
- Iceland, Nesjavellir, geothermal system, mineral deposition, geothermal evolution
- Location
- Nesjavellir, Iceland
- Conference
- World Geothermal Congress
- Year
- 2000
- Session
- Case Histories
- Language
- English
- Paper number
- R0688
Full text
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Abstract
The abundant vesicle and vein fillings in the Nesjavellir hightemperature field in SW-Iceland allows the thermal evolution to be studied. These time related sequences show a geothermal system evolving from a low-temperature condition to a high-temperature one, probably less that 100,000 years ago, associated with intrusives of dioritic composition. A progressive heating follows along NE-SW trending faults and eruptive fissures reaching a maxima, possibly ~5000 years ago. As the system cooled calcite was deposited. At present, the geothermal system is undergoing heating in southern part of the field, east of the Kyrdalsbrunir eruptive fissure.
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