Krýsuvík
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
No particular signs of unrest in the last 24 hours — 9 earthquakes recorded, within the system's normal range. Volcano is experiencing signs of elevated unrest above known background levels.
VONA = Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation; the official Met Office colour code for aviation. Independent of Skjálfti's automatic analysis.
🕰️ Last eruption / event — ~687 years ago
Last eruption in the 14th century (~1340). The Krýsuvík system's last known eruption was in the 14th century. Better known, though, are the Krýsuvík fires of 1151–1188, when Ögmundarhraun buried the farmstead of Krýsuvík itself. The geothermal field (Seltún) is highly active and seismicity has increased since 2020.
Volcanic system in the central Reykjanes Peninsula with strong geothermal activity (Seltún). The Krýsuvík Fires of 1151–1188 are the best-known eruptive episode; last erupted in the 14th century. Frequent seismicity. (overview — more at vedur.is) · circle on the map = rough outline of the system (radius).
📜 Did you know?
The Krýsuvík fires of 1151-1188 were the last known active period — about 840 years dormant. Ögmundarhraun (~1151) flowed over the farmstead Krýsuvík itself; the place-name thus refers to a farm no longer visible. The geothermal field (Seltún) is one of the most active on Reykjanes, seismicity has increased since 2020.
Historical eruptions in the system — points colored by size, blue circle shows where we are now in time.
☁ Air quality — SO₂
Real-time SO₂ from Environment Agency (2026-09-11T18:00 UTC). Yellow > 20 µg/m³, orange > 125 (health threshold), red > 350. Nearest stations to this system; past 24h shown for the highest.
Grindavík9.6 µg/m³
Vogar4.9 µg/m³
Reykjavík (Grensás)3.5 µg/m³
Hafnarfjörður (Hvaleyrarholt)1.7 µg/m³
Garðabær (Garðaholt)0.6 µg/m³
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: M3+ · M2+ · smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
9
Largest
M1.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–5 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 9 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.2 · 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
11
Largest
M1.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–7 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 11 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.2 · 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
64
Largest
M1.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–11 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 64 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.4 · count moment
No significant hypocenter migration — activity is stationary (R²=0.01, n=64); no sign of a propagating dike. Migration shows automatically if R²≥0.30.
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
289
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–11 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 289 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
972
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–11 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 972 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
1662
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–13 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1662 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.7 · 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
3978
Largest
M3.0
M3,0+
1
Depth range
0–13 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 3978 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.2 · 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.
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
9096
Largest
M3.1
M3,0+
2
Depth range
0–16 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 9096 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.6 · 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 ≈ 1.18 ± 0.11 (i.e. likely 1.07–1.30, M≥1.7, n=86)
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
43.706
Largest
M4.6
M3.0+
188
Days with data
1.756
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
<133134
1–24401
2–3732
3–4170
≥418
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.75 ± 0.02 (i.e. likely 0.74–0.77, M≥1.7, n=1547)
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
56.155
Largest
M5.0
M3.0+
285
Days with data
2.894
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 5.5
Magnitude distribution
<142039
1–27246
2–31281
3–4258
≥427
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.78 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.77–0.80, M≥1.7, n=2629)
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
67.018
Largest
M5.0
M3.0+
324
Days with data
4.750
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 5.5
Magnitude distribution
<148051
1–211509
2–31818
3–4295
≥429
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.86 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.84–0.87, M≥1.7, n=3811)
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
77.839
Largest
M5.7
M3.0+
436
Days with data
6.585
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 6.0
Magnitude distribution
<153750
1–215825
2–32496
3–4388
≥448
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.86 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.85–0.87, M≥1.7, n=5280)
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.
🌊 Volcanic tremor — The baseline tremor is currently elevated but its variations are well explained by strong…
IMO tremor plot (station kri). Most of the signal is weather and surf — not eruption confirmation. All stations: vedur.is ↗.
Weather now: wind 2 m/s (Kleifarvatni), waves 3.2 m — notable — likely weather.
The baseline tremor is currently elevated but its variations are well explained by strong wind and ocean waves. (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 17:20 | M-0.4 | 2.3 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 16:47 | M1.0 | 4.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 15:01 | M-0.2 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 12:52 | M-0.2 | 4.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 01:38 | M0.2 | 4.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 01:27 | M0.1 | 4.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 01:10 | M0.8 | 4.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-11 00:55 | M-0.7 | 4.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-10 22:39 | M0.0 | 3.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-10 17:06 | M-0.1 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 23:04 | M0.2 | 6.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 18:12 | M0.7 | 1.9 | Reykjanesskagi capital area |
| 2026-09-09 17:55 | M0.6 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi capital area |
| 2026-09-09 10:56 | M-0.1 | 11.3 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 10:53 | M-0.1 | 5.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 10:50 | M-0.3 | 4.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 10:35 | M0.2 | 5.9 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 09:08 | M-0.3 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 07:38 | M-0.1 | 5.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 04:45 | M-0.2 | 5.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 03:46 | M-0.3 | 4.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-09 02:53 | M-0.1 | 3.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 23:38 | M-0.4 | 5.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 20:05 | M-0.2 | 8.9 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 16:50 | M-1.0 | 0.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 16:18 | M-0.1 | 4.5 | Reykjanesskagi capital area |
| 2026-09-08 11:40 | M0.0 | 5.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 07:04 | M-0.3 | 4.1 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 06:16 | M-0.4 | 4.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 05:41 | M-0.0 | 4.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 03:41 | M-0.3 | 4.4 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-08 02:57 | M-0.4 | 4.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-07 07:42 | M0.0 | 4.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-07 07:22 | M-0.0 | 3.4 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-07 06:30 | M0.0 | 4.9 | Reykjanesskagi capital area |
| 2026-09-06 19:02 | M0.2 | 4.4 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 18:56 | M-0.1 | 4.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 17:43 | M0.0 | 2.3 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 15:53 | M-0.4 | 2.4 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 15:46 | M-0.6 | 2.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 11:17 | M-0.9 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 11:03 | M-0.5 | 3.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 11:01 | M-0.8 | 3.9 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 10:58 | M-0.3 | 3.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 08:36 | M-0.4 | 4.6 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 06:34 | M-0.9 | 2.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 04:44 | M-0.2 | 2.9 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 03:58 | M-0.6 | 3.2 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-06 01:13 | M0.1 | 2.0 | Reykjanesskagi capital area |
| 2026-09-06 01:12 | M-0.2 | 4.3 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 22:09 | M-1.0 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 20:37 | M0.3 | 3.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 16:42 | M-0.5 | 0.8 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 10:33 | M-0.5 | 2.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 10:11 | M0.1 | 3.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 09:48 | M-0.1 | 0.5 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 08:27 | M-0.4 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 07:45 | M-0.3 | 6.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 07:30 | M-0.2 | 4.9 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-09-05 06:22 | M-0.9 | 1.7 | Reykjanesskagi |
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.
📡 InSAR — radar deformation across the area
InSAR is satellite radar from Sentinel-1: it measures deformation across the whole area, not just points like GNSS stations. Six-day interferograms reveal where the ground rose or subsided between passes. InSAR distinguishes vertical deformation (magma chamber inflation) from horizontal (dike intrusion) — GNSS alone cannot.
View latest interferograms and time-series at COMET LiCS portal (Sentinel-1, ~4-6 day lag).
View latest interferograms and time-series at COMET LiCS portal (Sentinel-1, ~4-6 day lag).
System journal
Automatic snapshots and media coverage, in chronological order. Subscribe: RSS · ntfy
skjalftar-krysuvik2026-05-31 18:27:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 25 earthquakes were recorded in the Krýsuvík system, representing an increase above the weekly average and slightly higher activity than usual for this area. The activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than distinct swarms and most closely resembles the period around October 13, 2025. The largest earthquake was M1.4 with a cumulative moment of Mw 1.7 over the past 48 hours, while the b-value is 2.5, reflecting a deviation from the two-year regional average. These automatic preliminary results are based solely on measurements, and further data are available below.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).