Reykjaneshryggur
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. 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 — ~148 years ago
Last known submarine eruption (~1879). Known for island-formation (Eldey 1783-84) and submarine eruptions often seen only as steam plumes at the surface.
Submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (plate boundary). Frequent earthquake swarms offshore beyond Reykjanestá; volcanism is mostly submarine. (overview — more at vedur.is) · circle on the map = rough outline of the system (radius).
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
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: M3+ · M2+ · smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
1
Largest
M1.3
M3,0+
0
Depth range
13–13 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.3 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
2
Largest
M1.7
M3,0+
0
Depth range
10–13 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 2 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.7 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Not enough depth data.
Magnitude distribution
Earthquakes
10
Largest
M2.2
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–18 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 10 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.6 · 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.
Earthquakes
114
Largest
M4.1
M3,0+
3
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 114 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.3 · 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.88 ± 0.12 (i.e. likely 0.76–1.00, M≥1.7, n=55)
Earthquakes
244
Largest
M4.1
M3,0+
5
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 244 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.3 · 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.98 ± 0.09 (i.e. likely 0.89–1.07, M≥1.7, n=121)
Earthquakes
639
Largest
M4.4
M3,0+
18
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 639 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.9 · 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 ≈ 0.84 ± 0.04 (i.e. likely 0.80–0.88, M≥1.7, n=405) · low b can accompany magma activity (small sample, interpret with caution)
Earthquakes
898
Largest
M4.4
M3,0+
18
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 898 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.9 · 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 ≈ 0.92 ± 0.04 (i.e. likely 0.88–0.96, M≥1.7, n=531)
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
1532
Largest
M4.4
M3,0+
27
Depth range
0–25 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1532 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.9 · 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 ≈ 0.92 ± 0.03 (i.e. likely 0.89–0.95, M≥1.7, n=789)
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
5.679
Largest
M4.9
M3.0+
179
Days with data
688
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 5.4
Magnitude distribution
<12208
1–22103
2–3963
3–4153
≥426
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.76 ± 0.02 (i.e. likely 0.74–0.78, M≥1.7, n=1897)
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
8.388
Largest
M4.9
M3.0+
245
Days with data
1.062
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 5.4
Magnitude distribution
<13455
1–22928
2–31532
3–4214
≥431
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.76 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.75–0.78, M≥1.7, n=2836)
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
10.579
Largest
M4.9
M3.0+
400
Days with data
1.656
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
<13521
1–23860
2–32569
3–4362
≥438
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.74 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.73–0.75, M≥1.7, n=4519)
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
11.989
Largest
M4.9
M3.0+
506
Days with data
2.273
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 5.6
Magnitude distribution
<13690
1–24437
2–33125
3–4457
≥449
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.73 ± 0.01 (i.e. likely 0.72–0.73, M≥1.7, n=5427)
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 elevated baseline tremor is currently driven by strong wind and ocean waves. (AI)
IMO tremor plot (station rne). Most of the signal is weather and surf — not eruption confirmation. All stations: vedur.is ↗.
Weather now: wind 7 m/s (Reykjanesvita), waves 3.6 m — notable — likely weather.
The elevated baseline tremor is currently driven 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-10 23:54 | M1.3 | 13.2 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-09 20:07 | M1.7 | 9.8 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-09 19:24 | M2.1 | 18.4 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-09 16:14 | M2.2 | 0.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-09 11:04 | M1.7 | 11.9 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-08 17:56 | M2.1 | 0.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-08 12:09 | M1.8 | 6.3 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-08 11:39 | M2.1 | 0.1 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-07 06:44 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-05 07:21 | M1.4 | 13.9 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-04 05:12 | M1.5 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-03 15:09 | M1.7 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-02 03:37 | M1.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-02 02:58 | M1.5 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-02 00:40 | M0.7 | 4.5 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 21:49 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 21:49 | M1.6 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 20:26 | M2.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 20:18 | M0.7 | 9.1 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 20:15 | M1.3 | 14.3 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:56 | M0.9 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:53 | M0.9 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:46 | M1.3 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:44 | M2.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:43 | M1.1 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:37 | M1.6 | 12.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:35 | M2.3 | 10.4 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 19:30 | M1.3 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-09-01 18:16 | M1.6 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-31 22:49 | M1.4 | 0.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-31 21:32 | M1.7 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-29 01:49 | M1.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-29 01:31 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-27 09:47 | M1.3 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-27 06:18 | M1.7 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-26 17:30 | M2.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-26 17:27 | M1.9 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-26 04:01 | M1.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-26 03:10 | M2.3 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 23:11 | M2.2 | 7.7 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 20:48 | M1.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 19:04 | M1.7 | 9.9 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 19:04 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 13:32 | M2.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 12:33 | M1.2 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:56 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:23 | M1.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:18 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:11 | M1.6 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:03 | M1.2 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:02 | M1.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 08:00 | M2.0 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:46 | M2.3 | 9.5 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:40 | M1.7 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:40 | M2.4 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:37 | M2.2 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:33 | M2.2 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:32 | M2.7 | 7.5 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:31 | M4.1 | 10.0 | Other areas |
| 2026-08-25 07:29 | M1.6 | 10.0 | Other areas |
For the advanced — expert charts — Coulomb, migration, InSAR
🔬 Coulomb stress transfer — advanced analysis
27 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-reykjaneshryggurRepeated × 8 since 2026-09-08 18:00:03 — last 2026-09-10 13:30:03
In the last 24 hours, 3 earthquakes were measured on the Reykjanes Ridge, the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest. Activity is increasing and is slightly higher than usual for this area, but it is diffuse background activity rather than swarms. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M2.2, and the cumulative magnitude of earthquakes during the same period was Mw 2.5. These results are automatic preliminary results, and depth is unreliable.2026-09-02 19:40:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity has been increasing on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary where volcanic activity is mostly underwater. There were 14 earthquakes detected in the last 24 hours, which is well above the average of the last week of 4 earthquakes per day, representing somewhat more activity than usual for this area. This is characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.4 and the cumulative seismic moment magnitude for the period being 2.8. This activity most closely resembles the period around February 13, 2026, but it should be noted that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable. Maps and further details on the development can be found below.2026-09-02 13:25:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity has been somewhat higher than usual on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary where volcanic activity is mostly underwater. A total of 15 earthquakes were detected in the area during the last 24 hours, indicating that activity is increasing compared to the average of the last week which was 4 earthquakes per day, with the largest earthquake measuring magnitude 2.4. This represents scattered background activity rather than swarms, as 75% of the events over the last seven days were independent, and this activity most closely resembles the period around February 13, 2026, when 27 earthquakes were detected. It should be noted that these results are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable, but further maps and trend diagrams can be viewed lower on the page.2026-09-02 06:10:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity has been increasing on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary where volcanic activity is mostly underwater. There were 13 earthquakes detected in the last 24 hours, which is well above the average of the last week and represents somewhat more activity than usual for this area, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.4 (M2.4) and the cumulative moment magnitude reaching 2.8 (Mw). This is characterized by scattered background activity rather than swarms, with 75% of events over the last seven days being independent, and the development most closely resembles the period around June 24, 2026. Please note that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable, but further data and maps can be found lower on the page.2026-09-02 00:45:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 12 earthquakes were detected on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary where volcanic activity is mostly underwater. This activity is increasing and is somewhat higher than usual for this area, with the last 24 hours well above the weekly rate compared to the average of 2.1 earthquakes per day. The activity consists of scattered background activity rather than swarms, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours measuring magnitude 2.4 and the cumulative magnitude equivalent to 2.8. This development most closely resembles the period around June 28, 2026, but it should be noted that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable.2026-09-01 21:50:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, seismic activity on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary, has been increasing and is somewhat higher than usual for this area. Measurements show 10 earthquakes in the last 24 hours, which is well above the weekly average, with the activity characterized by scattered background activity rather than short-lived swarms, as 73% of events over the last seven days were independent. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude 2.4, and the cumulative moment magnitude in the area was 2.7 Mw, with a b-value of 0.89 over the last 30 days. This increase most closely resembles the period around February 13, 2026, though it must be noted that these are automatic preliminary results where depth is unreliable. Maps and further details on the development can be found below.2026-09-01 19:50:05 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, 8 earthquakes were detected on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary where volcanic activity is mostly underwater. This activity is increasing, as the last 24 hours are well above the weekly average of 3 earthquakes per day, though the seismic activity remains within what is considered normal for this area. The activity consists of scattered background activity rather than swarms, with 74% of events over the last 7 days being independent, while the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude 2.4 and the cumulative magnitude for the same period was 2.7 Mw. The current activity most closely resembles the period around June 28, 2026, when 21 earthquakes were detected, but it should be noted that these results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.2026-09-01 07:40:06 UTC
Over the last 24 hours, only 1 earthquake was detected on the Reykjanes Ridge, which is the submarine continuation of the Reykjanes system to the southwest along the plate boundary, indicating decreasing activity as it is below the weekly average of 5 earthquakes per day. This seismic activity is considered normal for this area and is characterized by diffuse background activity rather than short-lived swarms, with 61% of events over the last 7 days being independent. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude 3.4 (Mw) and the cumulative seismic moment in the area was also 3.4 Mw, with a b-value of 0.87 over the last 30 days. The activity most closely resembles the period around 14 February 2026 as a historical analogue, though it should be noted that all results are automatic preliminary findings where depth is unreliable.2026-08-31 23:35:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly average, though it remains within normal levels for this area. Distributed background activity has been dominant over the past week rather than distinct swarms, and the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was magnitude M3.4 with a cumulative moment of Mw 3.4. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around April 1, 2025, and further details on trends are available below.2026-08-31 17:35:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly rate, remaining within normal levels for this area. The largest earthquake in the past 48 hours was M3.4 with a cumulative moment of Mw 3.4, and these results are automatic preliminary results. Activity is characterized by distributed background seismicity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around April 1, 2025. Further charts and maps are available below.2026-08-31 13:00:06 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly rate, but remains within normal levels for this area. Seismicity is characterized by distributed background activity rather than swarms and most closely resembles the period around April 1, 2025. The largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was Mw 3.4 and the b-value is 0.88 +/- 0.11. Results are automatic preliminary results and further data can be found lower on the page.Repeated × 2 since 2026-08-31 04:20:06 — last 2026-08-31 08:20:05
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly average, remaining within normal levels for this area. The largest earthquake in the past 48 hours was magnitude M3.4 with a cumulative moment of Mw 3.4, and these results are automatic preliminary results. Distributed background activity has been dominant over recent days rather than distinct swarms, and current conditions most closely resemble the period around April 1, 2025. Further details on trends and maps 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).