Esjufjöll
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
No particular signs of unrest in the last 24 hours — 1 earthquake recorded, within the system's normal range.Little-known central volcano beneath SE Vatnajökull. Possible eruption/geothermal unrest in 1927. (overview — more at vedur.is) · circle on the map = rough outline of the system (radius).
Subglacial system: a subglacial eruption can cause a jökulhlaup (sudden glacial meltwater flood) with little warning, and volcanic gases (incl. SO₂, CO₂) can be dangerous near vents and may pool in hollows. These are standing features of the system, not a sign of an imminent eruption.
📜 Did you know?
Esjufjöll is a little-known central volcano lying mostly buried under ice in the southeastern part of the Vatnajökull icecap, just north of Öræfajökull, and hosts a caldera roughly 40 km² in size that has still not been fully mapped. Despite being a fully developed central volcano, no confirmed eruption is known in all of recorded Icelandic history — the only suspected activity is a glacial flood with a sulfur stench and ashfall in the Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi river in September 1927, which has never been confirmed as an eruption. Earthquake swarms suggesting magma movement were recorded beneath the volcano in October 2002 and again in October 2010.
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: M3+ · M2+ · smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
1
Largest
M1.2
M3,0+
0
Depth range
1–1 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.2 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
2
Largest
M1.2
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–1 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 2 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.3 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
6
Largest
M1.2
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–5 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 6 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.4 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Earthquakes
19
Largest
M1.9
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–29 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 19 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.1 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Earthquakes
123
Largest
M1.9
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–29 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 123 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.3 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Note: before February 2026 about half of events lacked an automatic magnitude, so magnitude-dependent figures (b-value, count of M≥X) under-count earlier periods — the catalogue is not homogeneous across this window. Cumulative moment is barely affected.
Earthquakes
162
Largest
M3.9
M3,0+
2
Depth range
0–29 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 162 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.9 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top). Grey: fixed depth.
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Note: before February 2026 about half of events lacked an automatic magnitude, so magnitude-dependent figures (b-value, count of M≥X) under-count earlier periods — the catalogue is not homogeneous across this window. Cumulative moment is barely affected.
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.
Earthquakes in the system
| Time (UTC) | Mag | Depth (km) | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-26 11:56 | M1.2 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-25 09:12 | M1.0 | 0.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-24 12:05 | M1.0 | 0.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-21 00:07 | M0.5 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-21 00:07 | M0.5 | 4.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-20 16:43 | M0.1 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-18 06:01 | M0.5 | 5.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-17 08:02 | M0.8 | 5.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-17 08:02 | M1.0 | 5.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-17 08:02 | M0.9 | 11.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-08 13:42 | M0.2 | 6.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-07-05 21:44 | M0.9 | 2.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-30 20:47 | M0.6 | 29.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-29 12:20 | M1.1 | 2.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-28 20:50 | M0.3 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-28 13:39 | M1.9 | 3.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-28 13:39 | M1.6 | 1.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-28 03:41 | M0.7 | 6.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-28 00:56 | M0.9 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-22 23:13 | M1.0 | 4.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-22 23:13 | M0.7 | 7.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-18 06:57 | M0.4 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-18 02:41 | M1.6 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 16:18 | M0.0 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 16:18 | M0.5 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 10:51 | M0.5 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 10:51 | M0.5 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 07:55 | M0.4 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 06:01 | M0.7 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 05:58 | M0.8 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-14 04:33 | M1.1 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-10 20:04 | M0.0 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-10 09:25 | M0.2 | 2.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-30 16:31 | M0.8 | 5.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-21 18:04 | M0.2 | 0.8 | Other areas |
| 2026-05-07 07:11 | M0.1 | 5.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-27 08:25 | M1.1 | 5.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-24 10:00 | M0.2 | 5.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-20 20:54 | M0.7 | 3.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-01 22:00 | M0.7 | 3.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-17 16:22 | M0.5 | 1.6 | Other areas |
| 2026-03-14 03:48 | M0.5 | 5.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-11 07:25 | M0.4 | 6.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-11 06:57 | M0.6 | 6.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-03 07:00 | M0.3 | 6.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-17 18:08 | M0.9 | 5.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-13 18:20 | M0.5 | 6.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-13 16:51 | M0.0 | 5.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-27 18:51 | M0.8 | 2.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-18 11:40 | – | 7.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-01 21:21 | M-0.2 | 2.1 | Other areas |
| 2025-12-28 22:11 | – | 1.6 | Other areas |
| 2025-12-24 10:49 | – | 0.4 | Other areas |
| 2025-12-22 05:33 | M0.6 | 8.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-21 08:43 | M1.1 | 4.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-21 01:22 | M0.7 | 0.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-19 23:58 | M0.1 | 5.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-11 10:43 | – | 9.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-11 10:43 | M1.1 | 7.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-11 00:18 | M1.1 | 5.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
System journal
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skjalftar-esjufjoll2026-07-21 00:40:04 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected in Esjufjöll, a little-known central volcano under the southeastern part of Vatnajökull, indicating that seismic activity is increasing as the last 24 hours are well above the weekly rate. This activity is, however, within what is considered normal for this area, with the cumulative magnitude over the last 48 hours at Mw 0.7 and the largest earthquake measuring M0.5. These are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable, and the current activity most closely resembles a period around November 1, 2025, when 7 earthquakes were recorded. Maps and further details on the development can be found below.2026-07-17 14:30:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, slightly more earthquake activity than usual has been detected in Esjufjöll, a little-known central volcano beneath the southeastern part of Vatnajökull. A total of 4 earthquakes were recorded in the area, indicating increased activity compared to the weekly average, with the largest event measuring magnitude 1.0 and the cumulative moment magnitude reaching Mw 1.3. This activity most closely resembles the period around December 22, 2025, when 4 earthquakes were also detected in the area. It should be noted that these are automatic preliminary results where earthquake depth is unreliable, but further data and maps can be found lower on this page.2026-07-17 08:10:04 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected in Esjufjöll, a little-known central volcano beneath the southeastern part of Vatnajökull, with this seismic activity remaining within what is normal for this area. This represents isolated activity, which is too sparse to evaluate any trend, though the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude 1.0 and the cumulative moment magnitude in the area was 1.2. This activity most closely resembles the period around September 27, 2025, when 3 earthquakes were recorded. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results and the depth measurements are 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).