Drawing the Ring of Fire on an equirectangular map, the main features fall into a narrow zone.
Two of the areas named on this map are often omitted when analysing the Ring of Fire, namely Yellowstone and Antarctica. With Antarctica included, the name ‘Ring of Fire’ can be taken literally, as a whole elliptical form is completed. Following up on this point, the circle is remarkably regular, with symmetric features, such as New Zealand, San Andreas Central Fault and Yellowstone on the minor axis. To be more precise, the San Andreas Fault is found where the inner ring crosses the minor axis, and Yellowstone is located where the outer ring crosses the same axis.
The basic idea by drawing the circle in this way, is the fact that subduction takes place exactly where equator crosses the outer ring within the Philippean Trench at the coast of Indonesia , and the Peru-Chile Trench crosses the same ring also on the equatorial line.
With a more detailed analysis, it can also be shown how the two rings follow the division lines drawn, representing the model introduced here. Examining the subduction zones one by one, a striking consistency between division lines and subduction zones is found.
The volcanic activity near Grindavík can be explained by referring to the interaction between a dyke forming within the volcanic zone, and magma from the dyke finding its way to the surface through earthquake faults. A seismic zone creats a weakness of the crust within the area. The orientation of the dyke is quite different from that of the earthquake faults. According to calculations the dyke is oriented about N43°E, and the earthquake faults trend is directly N-S. Real circumstances are not quite so simple, because the upper most manifestations of earthquake faults are en échelon arranged, divided into smaller systems with NE-SW trend. The dyke, when meeting with the earthquake faults, also bends, or follows the N-S trend near the eruption site. As I have been exploring the possibility that convection rolls are found withn the asthenosphere, and mapping the division lines between them, it is interesting to compare those lines with the conditions at the eruption site. Two downwelling lines of the lower parts of the asthenosphere are found directly below the eruption site itself. To understand the situation better, we should have a look at a map showing this:
This shows how the black division line crosses the Reykjanes Seismic Zone shown with red parallel lines. It is tempting to assume that the origin of magma can be traced to those two division lines directly below the eruption site. Another possibility is that the magma is originated from the upper most division line, alinged NE-SW, found slightly west of the eruption site, flowing at first under the crust along the NW-SE aligned line until it reaches the eruption site area. Then it ascends into magma chambers and finally to the surface.
This site shows many different situations where convection rolls system and real circumstances fit together. This is of course a very good example. The fact that the three eruptions along the dyke which formed under Fagradalsfjall, and the four eruption that have already taken place along the dyke forming at the side of Sundshnúkur have the same petrological origin is consistent with this.
This is an explanation built on many years of research. I have taken part in a series of conferences and meetings, publishing papers where the scientific papers pointing in this direction are cited. I also took part in mapping the South Iceland Seismic Zone, giving me the feeling of how the seismic area of Reykjanes works, as those two systems are connected end-to-end.
To explain the heat flow within the Earth, from radioactivity to eruption, is not easy, but it can be done. This eruption deserves much attention, and among the countless examples shown here, this one of those literally to the point.
The two other seismic zones of West Iceland (BTZ) and South Iceland (SISZ) are added to show how likely it is that the polygons surrounding distinct areas of Iceland really exist. To form a seismic area, pressure is nedded. The faults are all N-S oriented, so regularity is needed. The parallel faults are found side by side in E-W direction, having distinct endpoints, so the area is limited. The only solution for an outer framework is a polygon, exactly as drawn on the map here above. The division lines between convection rolls coincide with this enevitable polygonal shape surrounding the seismic zones. Therefore, it makes sense that the division lines are responsible for shaping the polygons in the first place. It is all about logic.
The San Andreas Fault and Yellowstone Caldera are shown on this map:
Those famous sites have a comparable position compared with the so-called Ring of Fire as drawn here. Most subduction zones around the Pacific fit into a tight elliptical form centered at 6°S and 155°E with eccentricity = 1.4. It passes equator at the coast of Indonesia and South America. This is drawn on an equirectangular map, used for the mantle convection rolls model. The major axis is tilted 40° and the minor 50°. The Central San Andreas Fault and Yellowstone are thereby found at the inner and outer limits of this mathematical version of the Ring of Fire. Those are probably the most famous geological features of the United States, along with the Grand Canyon. There are explanations available for this consistency, as shown here: https://pangea.stanford.edu/ERE/db/GeoConf/papers/SGW/2024/Thorbjarnarson.pdf
The formation of a dyke near the town of Grindavik in Iceland was quite sudden. First, a sill did form at the depth of approximately 5 km. Then magma started to make its way upwards, forming a dyke reminding us of what has happened in the vicinity of Fagradalsfjall three times during the last three years.
The dyke can be compared to the convection rolls model, and two lines cross the center of the dyke. The lines are blue, standing for down-welling. Down-welling can provide magma just as up-welling. The southern part of the dyke is aligned parallel to the convection rolls pattern, but the northern half is more affected by the earthquake zone, where NS oriented earthquake faults are a dominant factor within the brittle part of the crust.
The inserted maps are from ISOR (for volcanic systems) and the Icelandic Met Office (dyke formation indicated by earthquake epicenters). The main drawing is superimposed on a map from the National Land Survey. The main divison line is based on present tectonic drift vectors.
A section of the layers, represented by red and blue lines, is shown here below. This was prepared to show the location of the Fagradalsfjall eruptions, but they were so close to the site of the formation of the dyke presently ascending, so it is also used here as a representation:
In general: The 200 meters depth margin of the bathymetry of Iceland (ocean topography) is elliptical. Here it is exaggerated by encircling the area with a rather thick black elliptical line. Then, numbers from 1-8 are added in the relevant sections, fitting the mathematics of the ellipse. Let us discuss the sections one by one.
The Reykjanes Ridge extends from this section. The shallow sea margin of about 200 meters depth is therefore both found extending from Iceland itself and the Reykjanes Ridge extendint to the SW from it. If we could subtract the direct addition caused by the Ridge, the remaining shallow area should probably be found within the elliptical form.
The western most border coincides with the ellipse, and south of that the margin seeks to combine with the Reykjanes Ridge.
This section is formed in a fairly accurate way, lacking a small fraction to be regarded perfectly fitting into the basic elliptical form. What is interesting about this part, is that it coincides with the Greenland-Iceland Ridge, It is a bit of a coincidence, but the same applies to section 7, where the connection between the elliptical shallow sea plateau connects with the Iceland-Faroe Ridge.
The light-coloured outer part of this section coincides quite well with our imaginary elliptical form. The N-S axis at its eastern most side coincides with the effect of Kolbeinsey Ridge.
This part differs from the elliptical form due to the effect of Kolbeinsey Ridge, as on both sides of it, the ocean becomes deeper than 200 meters. At the eastern part, where the effect of the Kolbeinsey Ridge is negligible , the margin reaches slightly farther out than the imaginary elliptical form.
This part follows the ellipse fairly closely, reaching a little farther out, just about to the same extent as its counterpart No. 3 does not reach the elliptical limit.
As pointed out before, this section coincides with the Faroe-Icelandic Ridge. It fits almost perfectly to the elliptical form, along with part 8.
This part follows our imaginary elliptical form almost perfectly. Only its southern most part seem to lack a bit. As said before, parts 7 and 8 make up the most perfect quarter of the ellipse.
In this way, the discrepancy between the theoretical elliptical form and real mapping of the Icelandic ocean topography is partly explained. Without explanation, the resemblance between the mathematical form and real mapping is quite apparent, though. So why is this pointed out here and not by someone else? The elliptical form is a really interesting fact to mention. The reason is probably due to the fact that this would just be for the fun of it, if resemblance to the combined function of the two ocean Ridges, Reykjanes Ridge and Kolbeinsey Ridge, along with the volcanic zones, was not found to play a role. It has been dealt with in former posts.
Magic Magma 