Kverkfjöll
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, and activity is similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Uplift is measured at approximately 56 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 22 mm per year, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Activity most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.🕰️ Last eruption / event — 58 years ago
Phreatic explosion at Gengissig (1968) (1968-05-23). The system's last confirmed event was a phreatic (steam) explosion — not a magmatic eruption — at the geothermal lake Gengissig in May–June 1968; the lake drained and dark debris was scattered over snow and rock.
Central volcano in northern Vatnajökull with a powerful geothermal area. Last erupted in 1968. (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?
On the western slopes of Kverkfjöll lies one of Iceland's most active high-temperature geothermal areas, about 3 km long and nearly 1 km wide at 1,600–1,700 m elevation — high-temperature heat sitting right against the glacier. Hot water from the field drains beneath the Kverkjökull glacier and melts out ice caves that became world-famous, yet are notably unstable and short-lived due to constant collapse. The central volcano peaks at Skarphéðinstindur, 1,933 m.
Historical eruptions in the system — points colored by size, blue circle shows where we are now in time.
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: ● M3+ · ● M2+ · ● smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
1
Largest
M-0.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
1–1 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M-0.1 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
3
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
1–9 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 3 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
12
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–9 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 12 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
15
Largest
M2.1
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–9 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 15 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
67
Largest
M3.2
M3,0+
1
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 67 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
138
Largest
M3.2
M3,0+
1
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 138 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.3 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top) — shallowing in the data (7.9→5.2 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.
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
GSIG — land rising ~56 mm/yr (árstíða-leiðrétt) · long-term +22 mm/yr (MIDAS)
REYK (Reykjavík) — reference ~-2 mm/yr
Up = land rising (possible magma accumulation), down = subsidence. From Nevada Geodetic Lab (third-party processing, ~3-week lag, latest 2025-12-06). Interpreted deformation: Icelandic Met Office.
🌊 Volcanic tremor — The volcanic tremor baseline is normal and should only be compared to recent days since w…
IMO tremor plot (station kre). Most of the signal is weather and surf — not eruption confirmation. All stations: vedur.is.
The volcanic tremor baseline is normal and should only be compared to recent days since wind and waves do not reliably correlate with the measurements. (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 | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 19:48 | M-0.1 | 0.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-09 08:24 | M2.1 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-09 00:42 | M0.2 | 9.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-07 12:42 | M-0.2 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-04 04:55 | M-0.1 | 5.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-04 04:55 | M0.3 | 0.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-04 04:47 | M-0.1 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-04 04:47 | M-0.1 | 5.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-04 04:47 | M0.4 | 0.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-03 17:14 | M0.8 | 5.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-03 17:14 | M1.3 | 2.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-03 17:14 | M1.3 | 2.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-24 18:48 | M0.4 | 4.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-17 15:29 | M1.2 | 3.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-17 15:12 | M0.3 | 2.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-07 15:00 | M0.1 | 11.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-05 06:26 | M1.1 | 4.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-05 05:42 | M0.5 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-24 12:11 | M1.2 | 24.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-19 06:47 | M0.3 | 7.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-13 05:33 | M1.3 | 4.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-10 21:10 | M0.6 | 0.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-07 15:25 | M0.8 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-04-05 23:51 | M0.7 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-27 21:03 | M1.1 | 2.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-26 16:11 | M0.7 | 18.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-16 16:20 | M1.5 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-16 11:06 | M0.0 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-03-13 22:22 | M0.5 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-26 20:51 | M1.1 | 3.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-01 01:05 | – | 11.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-30 07:47 | – | 11.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-30 07:47 | M0.0 | 8.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-28 15:03 | M0.4 | 6.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-28 13:28 | M-0.1 | 8.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-01-03 08:03 | – | 12.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-12-07 11:18 | – | 5.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-11-11 00:40 | M0.6 | 7.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-11-09 01:59 | – | 5.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-29 01:50 | – | 5.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-28 21:13 | M0.2 | 6.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-17 04:58 | – | 4.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-17 00:23 | M0.5 | 3.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-14 15:47 | – | 3.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-14 14:25 | M1.1 | 8.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-10-03 00:27 | M0.1 | 9.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-24 17:59 | M0.7 | 5.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-22 12:10 | – | 8.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-12 14:07 | – | 3.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-04 23:19 | M0.4 | 5.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-04 22:47 | – | 3.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-04 21:22 | M0.4 | 4.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-09-04 11:06 | – | 8.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-30 22:09 | – | 12.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-29 20:32 | – | 2.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-24 07:51 | – | 0.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-24 05:45 | – | 17.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-23 23:07 | – | 21.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-20 09:19 | – | 10.0 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-13 13:54 | – | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
System journal
Automatic snapshots and media coverage, in chronological order. Subscribe: RSS · ntfy
skjalftar-kverkfjoll2026-06-10 08:25:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, and activity is similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Uplift is measured at approximately 56 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 22 mm per year, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Activity most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.2026-06-10 00:45:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll central volcano with its powerful geothermal area, and activity is similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Uplift is measured at approximately 56 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Activity most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.2026-06-09 19:50:04 UTC
In the last 24 hours, three earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll central volcano with its powerful geothermal area, and an increase above the weekly average indicates that activity is increasing. This scattered background activity is within normal levels for the area and most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025. Uplift is measured at approximately 54 mm per year, which is faster than 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 lower on the page.2026-06-09 08:30:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, and activity is similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this area and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Uplift measures approximately 54 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, though data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Activity most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.2026-06-09 00:45:04 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, and activity is 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 54 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, though data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Activity most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.2026-06-08 12:45:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, indicating that activity is decreasing 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 49 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average of 22 mm/year, although GNSS data are several weeks old. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around March 22, 2025, and further details can be found below.2026-06-07 12:45:04 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in the Kverkfjöll central volcano with its powerful geothermal area, indicating activity similar to the past week. Seismicity remains within normal levels for this region and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Land uplift is measured at approximately 44 mm/year, which exceeds the decadal average of 22 mm/year, although GNSS data are several weeks old. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around March 22, 2025, and further details are available below.Repeated × 2 since 2026-06-05 17:15:07 — last 2026-06-06 04:50:06
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, indicating that activity is decreasing 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 42 mm/year according to GNSS data that is several weeks old, which is faster than the decadal average of 22 mm/year. These results are automatic preliminary findings, and further details can be found lower on the page.2026-06-05 04:50:07 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll central volcano with its powerful geothermal area, indicating increased distributed background activity within normal limits for this region. The largest earthquake was magnitude M1.3 and the cumulative moment over the last 48 hours is Mw 1.5, while uplift is currently about 40 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble activity from around March 22, 2025, and further data can be found below.2026-06-04 17:15:12 UTC
In the last 24 hours, five earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano in northern Vatnajökull, indicating increased but distributed background activity within normal levels for this area. The largest event was magnitude M1.3 with a cumulative moment of Mw 1.5 over the past 48 hours, while uplift is measured at approximately 33 mm per year, exceeding the decadal average although GNSS data are several weeks old. This activity resembles the period around March 22, 2025, and these automatic preliminary results are presented with a caveat regarding unreliable depth estimates. Further details on trends and uplift can be found lower on the page.2026-06-04 07:35:11 UTC
In the last 24 hours, eight earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, representing unusually high activity for this area and an increase from previous days. The activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around March 22, 2025. GNSS data, which are several weeks old, indicate land uplift of approximately 33 mm/year, exceeding the decadal average of 22 mm/year. These results are automatic preliminary findings, and further details are available below.2026-06-04 04:50:09 UTC
In the last 24 hours, five earthquakes were recorded in the Kverkfjöll central volcano in northern Vatnajökull, indicating increased and unusual background activity for this area. The largest event was M1.3 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 1.5 over the past 48 hours, while uplift is measured at approximately 33 mm/year, exceeding the decadal average of 22 mm/year. This activity most closely resembles the period around August 21, 2024, and these are automatic preliminary results. Further details on maps and trends are available below.2026-06-03 17:15:12 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano with a powerful geothermal area, but activity is considered normal for the region and consists of scattered background seismicity rather than swarms. The largest event was M0.8 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 0.8, though too few events have occurred to assess trends. Uplift is measured at approximately 33 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, although GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary findings. Activity most closely resembles the period around August 6, 2024, and further details are available below.2026-06-02 00:00:26 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was recorded in the Kverkfjöll system, a central volcano in northern Vatnajökull with a powerful geothermal area. Activity remains within normal levels for this region and is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms. Land uplift measures approximately 26 mm/year, consistent with the decadal average, though GNSS data are several weeks old. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further details 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).
Data: Icelandic Met Office (Skjálftalísa API), automatic preliminary results — may change. This is not an official warning. Official warnings: vedur.is and Civil Protection (112).