Abstract:

Climate change induced global warming is resulting in ice-mass loss in all glaciated regions across the world. Iceland is a laboratory to study the effects of retreating glaciers on magmatic activity, as retreat of glaciers in Iceland results now in unloading and glacial isostatic adjustment. The ISVOLC research project adresses the effects of climate change on ice-retreat in Iceland, associated glacial isostatic adjustment, and influence of these processes on seismic and volcanic activity. Glacial unloading results in more magma being generated in the mantle through decompression melting. It also induces stress changes in the crust that may affect magma migration and the stability of existing magma bodies. Large uncertainties are, however, involved in evaluating the effects of climate change on magmatic processes, as they depend on many factors such as the detailed structure of magmatic systems and the rheology of host rock and magma. A review of present understanding of these processes, and implications, will be presented.

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