Askja

Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)

Status (automatic)

No particular signs of unrest in the last 24 hours — 6 earthquakes recorded, within the system's normal range.

VONA (Askja): Green (unchanged since 2022-11-09, no VONA notice issued) · source

Volcano is in normal, non-eruptive state.

VONA = Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation; the official Met Office colour code for aviation. Independent of Skjálfti's automatic analysis.

Depth — 3D and cross-section Askja and Herðubreið · last 90 days

Each dot is an earthquake, depth as the third dimension — Askja and Herðubreið, last 90 days. Drag the 3D view to rotate; point at a dot for details.

3D (rotatable) · depth ×2.5

Cross-section — distance along profile (km) vs depth (km)

Map (top view)

<24 klst2–7 dolderunconstrained depthsize ∝ magnitude (M)

⚠ Preliminary depths, unreliable (automatic Met Office solutions; depth often poorly constrained). events with unconstrained (default) depth shown as open rings — not real structure. For illustration, not analysis.

🕰️ Last eruption / event — 65 years ago

Vikrahraun (Askja eruption) (1961-10-26). Vikrahraun (Oct 26 – Dec 5, 1961) produced ~0.1 km³. After ~30 years of subsidence (1983-2014), Askja has been rising since 2021 — ~50-80 cm accumulation at ~3 km depth. No imminent-eruption signs, but the process is notable.

Central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains of the highlands. A large explosive eruption in 1875 spread ash to Scandinavia; last erupted in 1961. Uplift measured since 2021. (overview — more at vedur.is) · circle on the map = rough outline of the system (radius).

📜 Did you know?

The 1875 Askja eruption sent a massive ash cloud over east Iceland and reached Scandinavia. It contributed to an emigration wave in which about 15-20% of Icelanders moved to North America in the following decades (Helgi Skúli Kjartansson). On Lake Askja, German scientists Walter von Knebel and Max Rudloff vanished on 10 July 1907 — one of the most famous disappearances in Icelandic geoscience.

Historical eruptions in the system — points colored by size, blue circle shows where we are now in time.

❓ What if Askja erupts again?

Timeline: Land has risen ~80 cm at Askja since 2014 (magma accumulation at 3 km). No imminent-eruption signs but the process is notable. Scenarios: Small lava eruption in caldera (like 1961) — no settlements at risk. Or Plinian explosive eruption (like 1875) — ash over NE Iceland, possibly comparable to that which triggered the emigration wave. Lake Askja tsunami: Possible if a large caldera-wall section collapses into the lake (cf. 2014 event when 30 million m³ slid in). Wave can reach the tourist area at Víti. Settlements: None directly at risk. Mývatn area and Egilsstaðir may have air-quality issues. Last eruption: 1961 (small lava). 1875 was the major event. Sources: Wikipedia, GVP, Iceland natural-hazards research.

This is not a forecast. Based on historical experience and official hazard assessments from the Met Office / Civil Protection.

Depth is automatic and uncertain; earthquakes alone do not show magma movement — deformation (GPS) and gas are needed. Grey points: automatic fixed-depth values. b-value computed for M≥1.5 (automatic magnitudes make lower completeness unreliable). Preliminary data.

Glossary & magnitude scale →

Uplift — GNSS deformation

THOC — land subsiding ~23 mm/yr (seasonally adjusted) · long-term +21 mm/yr (MIDAS)

REYK (Reykjavík) — reference ~+0 mm/yr

Up = land rising (possible magma accumulation), down = subsidence. From Nevada Geodetic Lab (third-party processing, ~3-week lag, latest 2026-05-02). Interpreted deformation: Icelandic Met Office.

🌊 Volcanic tremor — The volcanic tremor baseline is currently elevated compared to recent days. (AI)

IMO tremor plot (station ask). Most of the signal is weather and surf — not eruption confirmation. All stations: vedur.is ↗.

Weather now: wind 7 m/s (Upptyppingum) — moderate.

The volcanic tremor baseline is currently elevated compared to recent days. (AI)

Band analysis past 9 days (from digitized RSAM values). High 2-4 Hz + low 0.5-1 Hz = possible magma-movement signal; high 0.5-1 Hz without 2-4 Hz = weather/surf.

Earthquakes in the system

Time (UTC)	Mag	Depth (km)	Area
2026-09-11 18:35	M0.5	6.8	Other areas
2026-09-11 17:44	M0.1	5.5	Other areas
2026-09-11 17:27	M0.7	5.2	Other areas
2026-09-11 17:21	M0.4	2.9	Other areas
2026-09-11 09:27	M0.4	6.0	Other areas
2026-09-11 01:48	M0.6	1.6	Other areas
2026-09-09 19:47	M-0.1	4.2	Other areas
2026-09-09 15:32	M0.3	3.7	Other areas
2026-09-09 14:03	M0.3	2.0	Other areas
2026-09-09 11:45	M1.3	4.7	Other areas
2026-09-09 01:30	M0.3	6.2	Other areas
2026-09-08 19:52	M0.6	0.0	Other areas
2026-09-08 10:48	M0.0	4.3	Other areas
2026-09-08 07:35	M0.8	4.7	Other areas
2026-09-05 11:28	M0.1	2.7	Other areas
2026-09-04 17:05	M0.1	9.6	Other areas
2026-09-04 16:57	M1.6	4.0	Other areas
2026-09-04 14:58	M-0.5	0.0	Other areas
2026-09-03 07:37	M0.4	4.6	Other areas
2026-09-03 07:26	M1.1	4.6	Other areas
2026-09-03 04:08	M0.9	4.4	Other areas
2026-09-02 18:59	M0.2	4.9	Other areas
2026-09-02 10:55	M-0.3	4.5	Other areas
2026-09-02 06:03	M0.7	4.9	Other areas
2026-09-02 01:41	M0.5	23.7	Other areas
2026-09-02 01:27	M0.6	5.0	Other areas
2026-09-01 19:54	M-0.6	3.6	Other areas
2026-09-01 17:24	M0.5	4.4	Other areas
2026-09-01 16:31	M1.1	4.8	Other areas
2026-08-31 23:26	M0.3	3.6	Other areas
2026-08-31 21:56	M0.8	5.4	Other areas
2026-08-31 14:55	M0.1	2.7	Other areas
2026-08-31 13:35	M-0.5	4.5	Other areas
2026-08-31 13:27	M1.0	4.1	Other areas
2026-08-31 03:24	M-0.8	7.3	Other areas
2026-08-31 01:24	M-0.2	3.6	Other areas
2026-08-30 23:01	M0.5	5.7	Other areas
2026-08-30 15:22	M0.0	4.1	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:56	M-0.4	3.0	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:43	M-0.4	3.6	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:42	M0.1	4.2	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:40	M2.1	3.5	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:32	M-0.3	3.7	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:31	M-0.2	0.4	Other areas
2026-08-30 11:29	M2.1	2.9	Other areas
2026-08-29 22:07	M-0.4	0.0	Other areas
2026-08-29 09:59	M-0.0	3.9	Other areas
2026-08-28 20:24	M-0.1	5.3	Other areas
2026-08-28 17:48	M0.4	1.1	Other areas
2026-08-27 16:40	M-0.3	2.6	Other areas
2026-08-27 13:31	M-0.2	3.5	Other areas
2026-08-27 13:30	M1.5	4.4	Other areas
2026-08-27 03:43	M-0.0	4.4	Other areas
2026-08-27 03:34	M-0.1	4.6	Other areas
2026-08-26 17:04	M0.1	5.9	Other areas
2026-08-24 13:54	M1.0	4.0	Other areas
2026-08-24 07:12	M-0.2	3.8	Other areas
2026-08-22 15:40	M1.3	4.1	Other areas
2026-08-22 03:25	M0.0	3.8	Other areas
2026-08-22 03:19	M0.3	4.2	Other areas

System journal

Automatic snapshots and media coverage, in chronological order. Subscribe: RSS · ntfy skjalftar-askja

2026-08-31 03:30:07 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, has increased and is now higher than usual for the area with 13 recorded earthquakes. The activity is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around June 21, 2026, though these are automatic preliminary results. The largest earthquake was magnitude M2.1 and the cumulative moment over the last 48 hours is Mw 2.3. Further details on trends and ground deformation can be found lower on the page.

2026-08-31 01:25:04 UTC

In the last 24 hours, 12 earthquakes were recorded at Askja, indicating higher than usual activity for the area and an increase from the weekly average. The activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around June 21, 2026. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M2.1, with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 2.3. These results are automatic preliminary findings, and further details are available below.

2026-08-30 23:05:05 UTC

In the last 24 hours, 11 earthquakes were recorded at Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, and activity is increasing although it remains within normal levels for this area. The increase is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms, with the largest event being M2.1 and a cumulative magnitude of Mw 2.3. Activity most closely resembles the period around June 21, 2026, but these results are automatic preliminary results. Further details on trends and ground deformation can be found lower on the page.

2026-08-30 15:30:06 UTC

In the last 24 hours, 12 earthquakes were recorded at Askja, indicating higher than usual activity for the area and an increase from the weekly average. The activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around June 21, 2026. The largest earthquake was M2.1 with a cumulative moment of Mw 2.3 over the past 48 hours, though these figures are automatic preliminary results. Further details on trends and ground deformation can be found lower on the page.

2026-08-30 11:45:04 UTC

In the last 24 hours, nine earthquakes were recorded in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, indicating increasing activity that remains normal for this area. The largest event was magnitude M2.1 with a cumulative moment of Mw 2.3, consisting mostly of distributed background seismicity rather than swarms. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around June 21, 2026, in terms of earthquake count. Further details on trends and ground deformation are available below.

Repeated × 3 since 2026-08-20 14:55:05 — last 2026-08-21 14:55:05

In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was detected in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, with activity similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Land uplift is measured at approximately 27 mm/year, consistent with the decadal average, though results are automatic preliminary findings. Current activity most closely resembles the period around November 28, 2024.

2026-08-20 06:50:06 UTC

In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was recorded in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, indicating decreasing activity compared to the weekly average. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Land uplift is measured at approximately 27 mm/year, consistent with the decadal average, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Further details on trends and uplift can be found below.

2026-08-20 00:40:06 UTC

In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, with activity similar to the past week and within normal levels for the area. Seismicity consists mainly of distributed background activity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around August 24, 2025. Uplift of approximately 27 mm/year is measured by GNSS data that are several weeks old and consistent with the decadal average. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further details are available below.

2026-08-19 21:15:05 UTC

In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded at Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, with activity increasing compared to the weekly rate but remaining within normal levels for this area. The activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around August 24, 2025. Uplift of approximately 30 mm/year is measured by GNSS data that are several weeks old and consistent with the decadal average. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further information is available below.

2026-08-19 06:50:06 UTC

In the last 24 hours, three earthquakes were recorded at Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, with activity increasing compared to the weekly average but remaining within normal levels for this area. The increase is primarily due to distributed background activity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around August 24, 2025. Uplift is measured at approximately 30 mm/year, consistent with the decadal average, though results are automatic preliminary results. Further charts and maps are available below.

2026-08-19 00:45:04 UTC

In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded at Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, indicating an increase in activity although it remains within normal levels for this area. The increase is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around February 10, 2025. Uplift of approximately 30 mm per year is measured according to GNSS data that are several weeks old. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further information can be found below on the page.

2026-08-18 21:10:04 UTC

In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in Askja, a central volcano in Dyngjufjöll, with activity similar to the past week and within normal levels for this area. Seismicity is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms, and land uplift measures approximately 31 mm per year, consistent with the decadal average. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M0.1 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 0.1, and these automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around October 19, 2025. Further details on trends and uplift are available below.

2026-08-17 15:10:05 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, no earthquakes have been detected in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands where land uplift has been measured since 2021. This seismic activity is within what is considered normal for this area and indicates that activity is decreasing compared to the weekly rate, characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms. According to GNSS data from a few weeks ago, the land is rising by approximately 31 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average, and the current state most closely resembles the period around February 19, 2026. It should be noted that these measurement results are automatic preliminary results with unreliable depths.

2026-08-16 20:25:04 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands, has been similar to the past week with one recorded earthquake, which is considered normal background activity for this area. The cumulative magnitude over the last 48 hours was Mw 0.5 and the largest earthquake was M0.4, although these are automatic preliminary results with unreliable depth. Land uplift has been detected in Askja since 2021, and GNSS data from a few weeks ago show the land rising by approximately 34 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 21 mm per year. The current activity most closely resembles the period around February 19, 2026, as a historical analogy and is not a prediction of future behavior.

2026-08-16 14:35:05 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, 2 earthquakes were detected in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands, with seismic activity remaining within what is normal for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with activity levels similar to the past week; the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude M0.6 and the cumulative moment magnitude for the same period was Mw 0.8. Land uplift has been detected in Askja since 2021, and GNSS data from a few weeks ago show the land rising at approximately 34 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 21 mm per year. This activity most closely resembles the period around February 19, 2026, though it should be noted that these results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.

2026-08-16 10:45:04 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, 4 earthquakes were detected in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands, indicating that seismic activity is increasing compared to the weekly average of about 1 earthquake per day. This activity is, however, within what is considered normal for this area and consists of scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest event in the last 48 hours measuring M0.6 and the cumulative magnitude for that period being Mw 0.8. Land uplift has been detected at Askja since 2021, and GNSS data from a few weeks ago show the land rising at approximately 34 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 21 mm per year. The current activity most closely resembles the period around 19 February 2026, but it should be noted that all results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable. Maps and further measurements of the uplift trend can be found further down the page.

2026-08-16 04:20:07 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands, with seismic activity increasing as the last 24 hours are well above the weekly average. This activity is, however, within what is normal for this area and is characterized by scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 0.6 (M0.6) and the cumulative moment magnitude for the same period being 0.8 (Mw). Land uplift has been detected in Askja since 2021, and GNSS data from a few weeks ago show the ground rising by approximately 34 millimeters per year, which is faster than the decadal average. The current activity most closely resembles the period around February 19, 2026, but it should be noted that all results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable. Maps and further details on the land uplift can be found below on this page.

2026-08-15 21:55:03 UTC

Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Askja, a central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll mountains in the highlands, has been increasing with 4 earthquakes detected, which is well above the weekly average. This activity is, however, considered normal for this area and consists mostly of scattered background activity rather than swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 0.6 (M0.6) and the cumulative moment magnitude for the period being 0.8 (Mw). Land uplift has been detected in Askja since 2021, and GNSS data from a few weeks ago show the land rising at approximately 35 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 21 mm per year. The current activity resembles the period around 19 February 2026 as a historical analogue, but it should be noted that all results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.

What do the numbers mean — and what should I do?

β (swarm signal): how high activity is versus the area's 2-year average. β above 2 means an ongoing swarm. It measures activity, not a forecast of a large quake.

Cumulative moment (Mw): the combined energy of the quakes in the period. Uplift (GNSS): whether the ground is rising or sinking, mm per year — the data are a few weeks old. Some systems (e.g. Svartsengi) deform in steps during eruption cycles rather than at a steady annual rate.

Swarm character is computed for a whole volcanic belt, not a single system — it describes the belt, not necessarily this one system.

What should I do? This is automatic monitoring for information — not an official warning. Follow official information from the Icelandic Met Office and Civil Protection (112).

Askja

Earthquakes over time

Cumulative count and moment

Magnitude distribution

Earthquakes over time

Cumulative count and moment

Magnitude distribution

Earthquakes over time

Cumulative count and moment

Magnitude distribution

Earthquakes over time

Cumulative count and moment

Magnitude distribution

Uplift — GNSS deformation

Earthquakes in the system

System journal