Ancient Icelandic River?

Near the Reykjanes Ridge off the coast of Iceland, is a feature that snakes roughly North to the Southeast across some 121 miles (195 km) of the seabed. The head starts at a depth of 4,000 feet or so (1,219 m) to ends at a depth of nearly 5,700 ft (1,737 m). Ancient rivers being found on continental shelves are pretty common, but this is over 31 miles (50 km) from the clear edge of Iceland's shelf and lies some 136 miles (220 km) away from the nearest land. 
During the last ice age the sea level was only 393 ft (120 m) lower, too, so this feature would still have been under water. Perhaps it served as a true under sea river that was created by the cold (thus sinking) melt water from the ice caps?

If anyone has some info or knows where I might find it, I'm very interested in learning more.

The Google Earth file has the "river" course marked out as well as some other interesting features that could be related.  





Reykjanes Ridge River.kmz (2.82 KB)

Hi Jacob,



I wonder if you have found any confirmation that the features you have observed in the seafloor imagery are in fact ancient river flows. Did your search on the internet or other resources indicate the presence of offshore river channels? It seems to me that there might well be other possible interpretations, including the appearance of structures that don't actually exist, but are illusions created by imprecise data used to construct the Google Earth imagery.

Aug 7, 2017 21:51:39 GMT JacobBogle said:

Near the Reykjanes Ridge off the coast of Iceland, is a feature that snakes roughly North to the Southeast across some 121 miles (195 km) of the seabed. The head starts at a depth of 4,000 feet or so (1,219 m) to ends at a depth of nearly 5,700 ft (1,737 m). Ancient rivers being found on continental shelves are pretty common, but this is over 31 miles (50 km) from the clear edge of Iceland's shelf and lies some 136 miles (220 km) away from the nearest land. 
During the last ice age the sea level was only 393 ft (120 m) lower, too, so this feature would still have been under water. Perhaps it served as a true under sea river that was created by the cold (thus sinking) melt water from the ice caps?

If anyone has some info or knows where I might find it, I'm very interested in learning more.

The Google Earth file has the "river" course marked out as well as some other interesting features that could be related.  

I couldn't find any connection with a Ancient Icelandic River on the seabed.
What you are seeing is what is called as a "Submarine Channel aka Abyssal channel".



Abyssal Channel aka Submarine Channel


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Couple Image examples of "Submarine Channels". 





Nothing on the internet of Reykjanes Ridge River. I found articles of "Seabed Rivers" flowing underwater,
such as the "Black Sea", But not "ancient Icelandlic River" that you noted.

Abyssal channels, canyons, etc. make sense. I suppose some of the confusion was due my use of the word "river". I was simply referring to a channel created by flowing water. Given the overall area, I am still inclined to think the feature was created as a result of water flow/currents as opposed to tectonic action - like the Hudson or Congo Canyons (although, not as deeply cut). Still would like to find a name for it, if it has one.