Katla (Mýrdalsjökull)
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
In the last 24 hours, no earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull known for explosive eruptions and large glacial floods. Activity is decreasing and is below the weekly average, but remains within what is normal for this area. Land uplift is measured at approximately 46 mm/year, which is consistent with the decadal average. The activity most closely resembles a period around June 3, 2006. Further information, including maps and trends, can be found lower on the page. 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 Katla (Mýrdalsjökull) · last 90 days
Each dot is an earthquake, depth as the third dimension — Katla (Mýrdalsjökull), 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 — ~108 years ago
The 1918 Katla eruption (1918-10-12). Jökulhlaup over Mýrdalssand added ~4 km of coastline over several days. The current 108-year pause is among the longest in Katla's known history — it typically erupts every 40-80 years.
Powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, known for explosive eruptions and large glacial floods. The last major eruption was in 1918; persistent seismicity beneath the glacier. (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?
The current 108-year pause is among the longest in Katla's known history (it normally erupts every 50-100 years). The Eldgjá eruption ~934 AD belongs to the Katla system — 18 km³ of lava, one of the largest lava eruptions in historical time on Earth. The 1918 eruption added about 4 km to the coast at Mýrdalssand over several days.
Historical eruptions in the system — points colored by size, blue circle shows where we are now in time.
❓ What if Katla erupts tomorrow?
Timeline: Historical warning from GPS and seismic data is 1-3 hours, but a jökulhlaup can start within a minute of subglacial eruption breach. Jökulhlaup: Most likely down Mýrdalssand (possibly down Markarfljót or Skálm). Peak flow can reach 100,000-400,000 m³/s (1918: ~300,000 m³/s; 1755: 200,000-400,000 m³/s) — comparable to the Amazon. Ring Road closes between Vík and Skógasandur for days to weeks. Ash: Wind-dependent. SW wind (common): Reykjavík spared, Suðurland worst affected. NW wind: ash reaches Faroes and Scotland. Aviation: North Atlantic flights may stop for days to weeks (cf. Eyjafjallajökull 2010). Sources: 1918 eruption added ~4 km to the Mýrdalssand coast over several days. Met Office hazard assessment (vedur.is/vatnafar/haettumat-floda).
This is not a forecast. Based on historical experience and official hazard assessments from the Met Office / Civil Protection.
Jökulhlaup history (historical renewal model + Bayesian update)
Last known flood (Múlakvísl): 2026-08-18, 24 d ago. Median interval between floods: ~3.0 yr (1087 d, n=6) · historically ~1 in 50 within 6 mo from a state like this (n=6).
Conductivity — the earliest precursor. Geothermal water from beneath the glacier is more ion-rich than meltwater, so conductivity in Múlakvísl rises before water level does; the Met Office alarm triggers when conductivity or water level crosses a preset threshold. For calibration it reached just over 500 µS/cm in the 18–21 August 2026 flood and peaked at 580 µS/cm in July 2017. The gas sensor at Láguhvol, about 2 km from the terminus of Kötlujökull, measured hydrogen sulphide above health limits during that event.
Note: The Met Office does not publish open realtime water-level/conductivity data. Realtime flood monitoring requires VPN/agreement with Veðurstofa (vmkerfi.vedur.is).
AUST step detection — 5 drops ≥ 15 mm in past 2 yr (May-Oct; winter snow filtered). Each drop = ice-shell subsidence, possible jökulhlaup signal. Latest: 2025-10-11 (-17 mm).
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: M3+ · M2+ · smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
0
Largest
–
M3,0+
0
Depth range
–
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 0 earthquakes · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
1
Largest
M0.3
M3,0+
0
Depth range
18–18 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M0.3 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
12
Largest
M1.9
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–18 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 12 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.2 · 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
71
Largest
M2.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 71 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.5 · 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
339
Largest
M3.8
M3,0+
1
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 339 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.9 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top) — shallowing in the data (1.7→0.2 km). 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
826
Largest
M3.8
M3,0+
1
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 826 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 1.07 ± 0.12 (i.e. likely 0.94–1.19, M≥1.7, n=63)
Earthquakes
1625
Largest
M3.8
M3,0+
2
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1625 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 1.04 ± 0.09 (i.e. likely 0.95–1.12, M≥1.7, n=101)
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
2490
Largest
M3.8
M3,0+
2
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 2490 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.0 · 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 1.09 ± 0.07 (i.e. likely 1.02–1.16, M≥1.7, n=165)
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
5.477
Largest
M4.8
M3.0+
47
Days with data
1.393
This is a reduced view: it is built from the daily aggregate (counts, moment, magnitude bands, depth histogram) rather than individual events. Map points, the depth scatter, cross-sections and the migration fit are therefore missing — they need each event's location and depth. Counts, total moment and the b-value are exact, not approximated.
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count and moment
Total moment of all events in the window equals a single Mw 5.0
Magnitude distribution
<13178
1–21362
2–3378
3–443
≥44
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.81 ± 0.03 (i.e. likely 0.78–0.84, M≥1.7, n=676)
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
12.455
Largest
M4.8
M3.0+
107
Days with data
2.835
This is a reduced view: it is built from the daily aggregate (counts, moment, magnitude bands, depth histogram) rather than individual events. Map points, the depth scatter, cross-sections and the migration fit are therefore missing — they need each event's location and depth. Counts, total moment and the b-value are exact, not approximated.
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count and moment
Total moment of all events in the window equals a single Mw 5.1
Magnitude distribution
<17930
1–23147
2–3759
3–4103
≥44
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.82 ± 0.02 (i.e. likely 0.80–0.84, M≥1.7, n=1412)
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
33.950
Largest
M4.8
M3.0+
156
Days with data
6.110
This is a reduced view: it is built from the daily aggregate (counts, moment, magnitude bands, depth histogram) rather than individual events. Map points, the depth scatter, cross-sections and the migration fit are therefore missing — they need each event's location and depth. Counts, total moment and the b-value are exact, not approximated.
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count and moment
Total moment of all events in the window equals a single Mw 5.2
Magnitude distribution
<122414
1–28871
2–31953
3–4150
≥46
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.95 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.93–0.96, M≥1.7, n=3641)
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
46.622
Largest
M4.8
M3.0+
263
Days with data
8.727
This is a reduced view: it is built from the daily aggregate (counts, moment, magnitude bands, depth histogram) rather than individual events. Map points, the depth scatter, cross-sections and the migration fit are therefore missing — they need each event's location and depth. Counts, total moment and the b-value are exact, not approximated.
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count and moment
Total moment of all events in the window equals a single Mw 5.3
Magnitude distribution
<124196
1–216512
2–35077
3–4254
≥49
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.96 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.95–0.97, M≥1.7, n=9173)
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.
Uplift — GNSS deformation
AUST — land rising ~46 mm/yr (seasonally adjusted) · long-term +37 mm/yr (MIDAS)
REYK (Reykjavík) — reference ~+0 mm/yr
Show all stations (N/E/Up + cluster)
AUST — horizontal and vertical displacement (N · E · Up) past 365 d, mm from first reading
Up = land rising (possible magma accumulation), down = subsidence. From Nevada Geodetic Lab (third-party processing, ~3-week lag, latest 2026-06-07). Interpreted deformation: Icelandic Met Office.
🌊 Volcanic tremor — The baseline tremor is currently low and should only be compared to recent days since win…
IMO tremor plot (station god). Most of the signal is weather and surf — not eruption confirmation. All stations: vedur.is ↗.
Weather now: wind 6 m/s (Reynisfjalli) — moderate.
The baseline tremor is currently low and should only be compared to recent days since wind and wave correlations are unreliable at this station. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-10 09:55 | M0.3 | 18.2 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-09 15:40 | M1.9 | 5.1 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-09 09:57 | M1.5 | 1.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-08 22:17 | M1.1 | 8.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-08 09:09 | M1.2 | 3.1 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-07 12:08 | M1.5 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-06 21:37 | M1.5 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-06 06:31 | M-0.4 | 11.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-06 03:17 | M0.9 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-05 14:24 | M1.8 | 9.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-05 08:35 | M0.9 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-04 23:21 | M0.9 | 1.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-04 17:43 | M2.0 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 21:15 | M1.3 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 21:09 | M-0.2 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 14:51 | M0.4 | 1.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 12:45 | M1.7 | 1.3 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 12:20 | M1.0 | 0.3 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-03 01:56 | M1.0 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-02 05:10 | M1.5 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-02 01:18 | M0.0 | 6.5 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 18:15 | M0.6 | 0.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 17:06 | M1.3 | 1.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 13:23 | M-0.1 | 0.7 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 11:20 | M0.1 | 1.3 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 03:41 | M0.6 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 01:39 | M1.4 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-09-01 00:52 | M0.5 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 22:19 | M1.0 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 20:03 | M1.6 | 0.8 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 19:15 | M0.9 | 4.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 16:20 | M0.6 | 0.2 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 10:59 | M0.5 | 0.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-31 01:42 | M0.1 | 0.1 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 17:55 | M0.7 | 1.5 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 05:15 | M0.8 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 05:12 | M1.3 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 05:09 | M0.8 | 0.8 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 04:42 | M0.8 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 03:53 | M0.9 | 0.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-30 03:44 | M1.2 | 0.2 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-29 20:52 | M0.5 | 12.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-29 06:48 | M0.9 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-28 10:13 | M2.0 | 0.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-27 12:39 | M0.7 | 4.2 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-27 10:31 | M0.2 | 9.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-23 22:38 | M1.1 | 3.1 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-23 11:53 | M0.6 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-23 04:06 | M0.8 | 0.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-23 01:34 | M0.9 | 2.6 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-22 06:52 | M1.2 | 0.3 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-21 16:18 | M0.6 | 0.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-21 16:18 | M0.5 | 2.4 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-21 05:47 | M0.4 | 1.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-21 05:42 | M0.3 | 2.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-20 18:46 | M-0.0 | 0.9 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-20 09:41 | M-0.0 | 11.2 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-20 04:55 | M-0.3 | 3.7 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-20 03:58 | M-0.2 | 10.0 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
| 2026-08-20 03:53 | M0.2 | 0.5 | Mýrdalsjökull (Katla) |
For the advanced — expert charts — Coulomb, migration, InSAR
🔬 Coulomb stress transfer — advanced analysis
2 earthquakes M≥3.0 in this window on this system. Such events transfer stress to neighbouring faults — some become more likely to slip, others less ("Coulomb stress transfer"). The Met Office does not publish focal mechanisms for automatically located events, so Skjálfti does not compute this itself — it requires strike/dip/rake data which is only available for M≥4.5 events in the GCMT catalogue.
For Coulomb analysis, see: USGS Coulomb 3.4 (stand-alone software) and focal mechanisms for Iceland in Global CMT.
For Coulomb analysis, see: USGS Coulomb 3.4 (stand-alone software) and focal mechanisms for Iceland in Global CMT.
System journal
Automatic snapshots and media coverage, in chronological order. Subscribe: RSS · ntfy
skjalftar-katla-myrdalsjokull2026-09-11 15:45:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull known for explosive eruptions and large glacial floods. Activity is decreasing and is below the weekly average, but remains within what is normal for this area. Land uplift is measured at approximately 46 mm/year, which is consistent with the decadal average. The activity most closely resembles a period around June 3, 2006. Further information, including maps and trends, can be found lower on the page.2026-09-11 10:00:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in Katla, but in the last 48 hours, two earthquakes were measured. The activity is decreasing, but it is within what is normal for this area. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M1.9, with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 1.9. Land uplift is measured at approximately 46 mm/year, which is in line with the decadal average. Results are automatic preliminary results.2026-09-09 22:20:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 2 earthquakes were measured in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull. The activity is similar to the past week, and it is within what is normal for this area. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M1.9, and the cumulative moment magnitude was Mw 2.0. Land uplift is measured at about 37 mm/year, which is in line with the decadal average. The seismic activity is mostly diffuse background activity rather than swarms, and it most resembles a period around December 3, 2023. These are automatic preliminary results.2026-09-09 17:45:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were measured in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The activity is similar to that of the past week, but is within what is considered normal for this area. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M1.9, and the cumulative magnitude of earthquakes during the same period was Mw 2.0. Ground uplift of approximately 37 mm/year is measured east of Katla, which is consistent with the decadal average. The activity is mostly diffuse background activity rather than swarms and is most similar to the period around December 3, 2023. These are automatic preliminary results.2026-09-09 15:45:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were measured in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull glacier. The activity is similar to the past week, and it is within what is considered normal for this area. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M1.5, and the cumulative moment magnitude was Mw 1.7. Land uplift is measured at approximately 37 mm per year, which is consistent with the decadal average. The seismic activity is mostly diffuse background activity rather than swarms and most resembles a period around April 11, 2018. These are automatic preliminary results.Repeated × 3 since 2026-09-07 12:10:02 — last 2026-09-07 17:40:02
Over the last 24 hours, 2 earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful caldera volcano under Mýrdalsjökull glacier, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within what is considered normal for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than swarms, as 95% of events over the last 7 days were independent, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 1.5 and the cumulative moment magnitude over the same period being 1.7 Mw. Land uplift is measured at approximately 34 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average, and the current activity most closely resembles the period around 28 February 2020. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable, but further maps and measurements can be found below on this page.2026-09-07 06:40:03 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier, has decreased, with only one earthquake detected which is below the weekly average for the area. This scattered background activity is within the normal range for this region, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 1.8 and the cumulative seismic moment magnitude for that period being 1.9. Seasonally adjusted land uplift is measured at approximately 34 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average for the area, though these results are automatic preliminary data with unreliable depth estimates. As a historical comparison, the current activity most closely resembles the period around October 20, 2020, and further details and development maps can be found below on this page.2026-09-07 03:20:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 2 earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful caldera volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within normal limits for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, as 94% of events over the last 7 days were independent, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 1.8 and the cumulative moment magnitude for the period being 1.9. Land uplift is currently measured at approximately 34 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average, and the activity most closely resembles the period around October 20, 2020. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results with unreliable depths, and further data and maps can be found lower on this page.2026-09-06 21:40:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected under Katla, a powerful caldera volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, representing activity similar to the past week which is considered normal for this area. This is characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms, with 94% of events over the last 7 days being independent, while the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude 1.8 and the cumulative moment magnitude for the same period was 1.9. GNSS measurements show land uplift of approximately 30 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average, though these results are automatic preliminary data with unreliable depth estimates. This activity most closely resembles the period around November 7, 2013 as a historical analogue, and further maps and trend data can be found below on the page.2026-09-06 14:30:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, has been decreasing and is currently below the weekly average with two recorded earthquakes. This activity is considered normal for this area and is characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.0 and the cumulative moment magnitude at 2.1 Mw. Land uplift is measured at approximately 30 mm per year according to several-weeks-old GNSS data, which is in line with the decadal average for the area. The current activity most closely resembles the period around December 21, 2012, although it should be noted that these results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.2026-09-06 12:20:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected under Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within the normal range for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest event in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.0 and the cumulative moment magnitude measuring Mw 2.1. Land uplift is measured at approximately 30 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average for the area. This activity most closely resembles the period around December 21, 2012, although it must be noted that these are automatic preliminary results with unreliable depth estimates.2026-09-06 08:45:01 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 2 earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within the normal range for this area. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude M2.0, with a cumulative moment magnitude of Mw 2.1 during that period, and measurements indicate scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms. Land uplift is measuring around 30 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average, and the current activity most closely resembles the period around November 2, 2013, as a historical analogue. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable, but further data and maps can be found lower on the page.2026-09-06 03:20:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected under Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier, with activity remaining similar to the past week and considered normal for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest event in the last 48 hours measuring M2.0 and the cumulative seismic moment magnitude reaching Mw 2.1. GNSS measurements show land uplift of approximately 30 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average, though it should be noted that these results are automatic preliminary data and depths are unreliable. This activity most closely resembles the period around November 2, 2013 as a historical analogue, and further maps and data can be found below on the page.2026-09-05 23:25:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull, has decreased and remains within normal levels for this area. A total of 2 automatic earthquakes were detected during the last 24 hours, which is below the weekly average, with the largest measuring magnitude 2.0 and the cumulative magnitude for the last 48 hours at 2.1. The activity is characterized by scattered background seismicity rather than earthquake swarms, closely resembling the period around August 15, 2015, as a historical analogue. According to GNSS data from a few weeks ago, the land is rising by approximately 29 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average, though it should be noted that all earthquake and depth results are automatic preliminary data.2026-09-05 17:45:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected under Katla, a powerful caldera volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull glacier, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within the normal range for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest event of the last 48 hours measuring M2.0 and the cumulative magnitude reaching Mw 2.1. Land uplift is currently measured at approximately 29 mm per year based on several-weeks-old GNSS data, which is in line with the long-term decadal average. This activity most closely resembles the period around September 14, 2025, though it must be noted that all results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.2026-09-05 14:25:02 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 4 earthquakes were detected under Katla, a powerful central volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull, with seismic activity remaining similar to the past week and within what is considered normal for this area. This represents scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.2 and the cumulative magnitude for the same period reaching 2.3. Land uplift is currently measured at approximately 29 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average, and the activity most closely resembles the period around February 24, 2026. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results with unreliable depths, but further data and maps can be found lower on the page.2026-09-05 08:40:03 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were detected in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull, with activity remaining similar to the past week and within the normal range for this area. The seismic activity over the last 7 days is characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude M2.0 and the cumulative moment magnitude for the same period being Mw 2.1. GNSS measurements show land uplift of approximately 29 mm per year, which is in line with the decadal average for the area, though it should be noted that the earthquake results are automatic preliminary data with unreliable depths. This activity most closely resembles the period around November 15, 2024, and further details along with maps can be found below.2026-09-04 21:10:03 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity in Katla, a powerful central volcano under Mýrdalsjökull glacier, has been decreasing and remains within what is considered normal for this area. Measurements show scattered background activity rather than earthquake swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring M2.0 and the cumulative magnitude of all events during this period at Mw 2.1. Land uplift is measured at approximately 27 mm per year according to GNSS data that is a few weeks old, which is in line with the decadal average for the area. This activity most closely resembles the period around November 15, 2024, although it should be noted that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable. Maps and further details on land uplift can be found lower on the page.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).