Reykjaneshryggur
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
No particular signs of unrest in the last 24 hours — 5 earthquakes recorded, within the system's normal range.VONA = Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation; the official Met Office colour code for aviation. Independent of Skjálfti's automatic analysis.
🕰️ Last eruption / event — ~147 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 (2026-06-10T08:00 UTC). Yellow > 20 µg/m³, orange > 125 (health threshold), red > 350. Nearest stations to this system; past 24h shown for the highest.
Grindavík7.4 µg/m³
Points = earthquake locations in the selected window, coloured by magnitude: ● M3+ · ● M2+ · ● smaller (a sample if more than 800).
Earthquakes
5
Largest
M1.7
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–9 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 5 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M2.0 · 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.
Earthquakes
7
Largest
M2.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–9 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 7 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
11
Largest
M2.0
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–20 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 11 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.
Earthquakes
44
Largest
M2.8
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–20 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 44 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M3.1 · 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
784
Largest
M4.0
M3,0+
21
Depth range
0–24 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 784 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.5 · 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.
Gutenberg-Richter b ≈ 0.83 ± 0.03 (i.e. likely 0.81–0.86, M≥1.7, n=510) · low b can accompany magma activity (small sample, interpret with caution)
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
1231
Largest
M4.1
M3,0+
28
Depth range
0–24 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 1231 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M4.6 · 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 ≈ 0.84 ± 0.02 (i.e. likely 0.82–0.87, M≥1.7, n=679) · low b can accompany magma activity (small sample, interpret with caution)
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 — Seismic tremor is currently normal with fluctuations explained by moderate wind and ocean…
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 1.3 m — moderate.
Seismic tremor is currently normal with fluctuations explained by moderate 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 | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 04:58 | M1.5 | 5.9 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-09 23:40 | M1.7 | 9.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-09 23:40 | M1.5 | 7.5 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-09 22:50 | M1.3 | 0.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-09 19:59 | M1.6 | 0.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-08 14:44 | M1.3 | 5.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-06-08 11:26 | M2.0 | 5.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-06 12:11 | M1.6 | 13.3 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-06 03:16 | M1.5 | 10.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-04 04:31 | M-0.5 | 0.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-06-04 04:08 | M1.3 | 19.8 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-02 14:35 | M2.5 | 7.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-02 08:59 | M1.5 | 17.3 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-02 06:27 | M0.3 | 4.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-02 06:16 | M-0.3 | 15.0 | Reykjanesskagi Grindavík |
| 2026-06-01 02:40 | M1.7 | 13.4 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-01 02:40 | M1.4 | 1.9 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-06-01 00:41 | M1.2 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-30 02:58 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-29 01:13 | M1.3 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-28 01:25 | M1.9 | 9.5 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-28 00:53 | M1.3 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-27 10:44 | M1.7 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-27 10:39 | M-0.2 | 1.1 | Reykjanesskagi Grindavík |
| 2026-05-27 10:33 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-27 10:15 | M2.3 | 7.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-27 10:05 | M1.8 | 10.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-26 10:18 | M1.5 | 1.1 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-05-25 01:47 | M1.0 | 7.3 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-23 00:38 | M1.6 | 13.5 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-22 21:39 | M1.6 | 15.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-22 18:18 | M2.0 | 8.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-22 16:05 | M1.7 | 12.7 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-22 15:08 | M2.8 | 9.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-20 21:15 | M1.6 | 11.4 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 23:34 | M0.2 | 10.9 | Reykjanesskagi Grindavík |
| 2026-05-17 23:34 | M1.9 | 9.5 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 17:33 | M1.9 | 11.7 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 15:09 | M2.0 | 5.8 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 00:17 | M1.9 | 9.4 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 00:08 | M2.3 | 7.9 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 00:07 | M2.0 | 12.8 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 00:04 | M2.2 | 10.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-17 00:02 | M2.7 | 6.7 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-10 20:50 | M0.0 | 5.0 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-05-09 06:50 | M2.1 | 14.7 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-07 07:03 | M2.6 | 3.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-05-05 20:24 | M2.3 | 1.0 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-30 18:07 | M1.1 | 1.1 | Reykjanesskagi |
| 2026-04-24 09:23 | M1.8 | 10.8 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-23 14:09 | M1.1 | 1.1 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-23 04:16 | M1.9 | 1.1 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-15 22:20 | M2.3 | 8.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-08 01:05 | M2.0 | 13.9 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-05 17:34 | M1.6 | 15.1 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-04-02 13:08 | M1.8 | 13.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-03-28 11:22 | M1.8 | 8.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-03-28 06:59 | M1.8 | 3.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-03-26 19:17 | M1.6 | 1.6 | Önnur svæði |
| 2026-03-26 12:52 | M1.9 | 14.9 | Önnur svæði |
For the advanced — expert charts — Coulomb, migration, InSAR
🔬 Coulomb stress transfer — advanced analysis
28 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-reykjaneshryggur2026-05-28 01:27:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, five earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity increasing above the area's usual rate. This increase is mostly due to short-lived swarms, and a β-value of 2.7 indicates a deviation from the two-year average. The largest event was M2.3 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 2.5 over 48 hours; these automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around September 4, 2025. Further charts and maps are available below.2026-05-27 09:47:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 16 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly rate, although it remains higher than usual for this area. The increase consists mostly of short-lived swarms, with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 2.8 over the past 48 hours and a b-value of 1.18. Uplift is measured at approximately 14 mm/year according to GNSS data, and the current pattern resembles the period around February 15, 2026. These figures are automatic preliminary results, and further details are available below. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.Repeated × 2 since 2026-05-26 13:03:29 — last 2026-05-26 18:47:02
In the last 24 hours, 27 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity similar to the past week but considerably higher than usual for this area. The increase is mostly due to short-lived swarms rather than distributed background seismicity, with the largest event at M2.4 and a cumulative magnitude of Mw 2.8 in the last 48 hours. Activity most closely resembles the period around February 15, 2026, though these figures are automatic preliminary results and depth is unreliable. Further charts and maps are available below. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.2026-05-26 09:47:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 20 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity similar to the past week but considerably higher than usual for this area. The increase consists mostly of short-lived swarms according to automatic preliminary results, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours being M2.9 and a cumulative magnitude of Mw 3.1. Activity most closely resembles the period around February 15, 2026, and further details on trends and maps are available below. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.2026-05-26 06:47:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 17 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity similar to the past week but slightly higher than usual for this area. The increase is mostly due to short-lived swarms according to automatic preliminary results, while the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M2.9 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 3.1. Activity most closely resembles the period around February 15, 2026, and further data on trends and land uplift can be found lower on the page. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.2026-05-26 03:47:01 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 24 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity similar to the past week but considerably higher than usual for this area. The increase is mainly due to short-lived swarms rather than distributed background activity, with the largest earthquake at M3.4 and a cumulative magnitude of Mw 3.6 in the last 48 hours. These are automatic preliminary results, and the current activity most closely resembles the period around February 15, 2026; further details on trends and land uplift are available below. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.2026-05-26 01:47:01 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 29 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with activity similar to the past week but considerably higher than usual for this area. The increase consists mostly of short-lived swarms according to automatic preliminary results, while the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours was M3.4 with a cumulative magnitude of Mw 3.6. Activity most closely resembles the period around February 15, 2026, and further details on trends and statistics are available below. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.2026-05-25 18:31:12 UTC
In the last 24 hours, 39 earthquakes were recorded on the Reykjanes Ridge, indicating activity similar to the past week but considerably higher than usual for this area. The increase is mostly due to short-lived swarms rather than distributed background activity, with the largest earthquake in the last 48 hours being M3.4 and a cumulative moment of Mw 3.6. These automatic preliminary results most closely resemble the period around February 15, 2026, though earthquake depths are unreliable. See maps, trend charts, and ground deformation below for further details. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.Repeated × 2 since 2026-05-25 12:11:33 — last 2026-05-25 15:27:02
In the last 24 hours, unusually high activity was measured on the Reykjanes Ridge, a submarine extension of the Reykjanes system, with a beta swarm indicator of 16.1 and the increase consisting mostly of swarm activity according to data. Results are automatic preliminary results and most closely resemble the period around February 15, 2026. Source: automatic measurements (IMO). This is not an official warning - see vedur.is.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).