Tungnafellsjökull
Seismicity by period · derived statistics from Skjálftalísa (Icelandic Met Office)
Status (automatic)
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in the Tungnafellsjökull system and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly average. This level is within normal range for the area, while land uplift measures approximately 40 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 26 mm per year. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further data on uplift and trends can be found lower on the page.Central volcano NW of Vatnajökull, near Bárðarbunga; its seismicity often follows Bárðarbunga. No known Holocene eruptions. (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?
Tungnafellsjökull is a central volcano northwest of Vatnajökull that has not erupted in recorded history; its youngest lavas are thought to be at most about 4,500 years old. Despite this calm, the volcano reacted strongly when its neighbour Bárðarbunga stirred: during the 2014–2015 unrest, seismicity beneath Tungnafellsjökull increased by up to 60-fold, with more than 500 earthquakes larger than magnitude 1 and the largest about 3.6. The system's eastern caldera holds Vonarskarð, a high-temperature geothermal field on the watershed between north and south Iceland, which earned the name „Pass of Hope” when a settlement-era traveller crossed it hoping to find better land.
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
4
Largest
M0.3
M3,0+
0
Depth range
2–4 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 4 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M0.6 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Earthquakes
4
Largest
M0.3
M3,0+
0
Depth range
2–4 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 4 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M0.6 · count moment
Depth (0 km at top).
Magnitude distribution
Depth cross-sections — color by age (orange=newest, grey=older), point size by M. Rising cluster = possible magma intrusion.
Earthquakes
6
Largest
M0.3
M3,0+
0
Depth range
1–4 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 6 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M0.8 · 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
13
Largest
M1.6
M3,0+
0
Depth range
1–19 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 13 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.6 · 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.
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
22
Largest
M1.6
M3,0+
0
Depth range
0–19 km
Earthquakes over time
Cumulative count · 22 earthquakes · total moment ≈ M1.8 · 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.
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
VONC — land rising ~40 mm/yr (árstíða-leiðrétt) · long-term +26 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 2026-05-02). Interpreted deformation: Icelandic Met Office.
Earthquakes in the system
| Time (UTC) | Mag | Depth | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-09 08:28 | M0.2 | 2.8 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-09 08:28 | M0.3 | 3.3 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-09 06:25 | M0.1 | 3.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-06-09 06:25 | M0.1 | 1.6 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-29 14:51 | M0.3 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-05-11 14:32 | M0.3 | 1.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2026-02-14 22:37 | M0.2 | 1.1 | Önnur svæði |
| 2025-09-21 00:38 | M0.3 | 2.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-08-24 03:22 | – | 16.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2025-08-23 02:35 | – | 19.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-07-18 13:58 | M0.1 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-07-01 09:02 | M0.3 | 1.9 | Önnur svæði |
| 2025-07-01 08:38 | M1.6 | 2.2 | Önnur svæði |
| 2025-04-19 05:49 | – | 2.4 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-02-14 17:28 | M0.1 | 3.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2025-02-12 13:46 | – | 1.9 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2024-11-25 14:48 | M0.7 | 1.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2024-11-25 13:46 | M1.2 | 4.2 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2024-10-24 06:33 | – | 1.5 | Önnur svæði |
| 2024-09-09 13:15 | – | 18.7 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2024-09-06 11:59 | M1.5 | 1.5 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
| 2024-08-03 02:59 | – | 0.1 | Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga/Grímsvötn) |
System journal
Automatic snapshots and media coverage, in chronological order. Subscribe: RSS · ntfy
skjalftar-tungnafellsjokull2026-06-10 08:30:07 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in the Tungnafellsjökull system and activity is decreasing compared to the weekly average. This level is within normal range for the area, while land uplift measures approximately 40 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average of 26 mm per year. Results are automatic preliminary results, and further data on uplift and trends can be found lower on the page.2026-06-10 06:30:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded in the Tungnafellsjökull system and activity is increasing compared to the weekly average, though it remains within normal levels for this area. The largest earthquake in the past 48 hours was magnitude M0.3 and the cumulative moment for the period is Mw 0.6. Uplift in the area is approximately 40 mm per year according to GNSS measurements, which exceeds the decadal average of 26 mm per year. These details are automatic preliminary results and further data can be found lower on the page.2026-06-09 08:30:05 UTC
In the last 24 hours, three earthquakes were recorded at Tungnafellsjökull, which is considered normal background activity for this area. The largest earthquake was magnitude M0.2 and the cumulative moment over the last 48 hours is Mw 0.5. Uplift is measured at approximately 41 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Further details on uplift and trends can be found lower on the page.2026-06-09 06:30:04 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded at Tungnafellsjökull, which is considered normal background activity for this area. The largest earthquake was magnitude M0.1 and the cumulative moment over the last 48 hours is Mw 0.3, but there are too few measurements to assess a trend. Uplift is measured at approximately 41 mm per year, which is faster than the decadal average, though the data are several weeks old and uncertain on short timescales. These automatic preliminary results are based solely on the provided figures, and further details can be found lower on the page.2026-05-31 15:07:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured in the Tungnafellsjökull system and activity remains within normal levels for this area. Land uplift is measured at approximately 41 mm/year, which is faster than the decadal average, though GNSS data are several weeks old and results are automatic preliminary results. Further details on uplift and trends can be found lower on the page.2026-05-30 13:47:03 UTC
In the last 24 hours, two earthquakes were recorded at Tungnafellsjökull, which is within normal levels for the area and considered isolated activity. The largest earthquake was magnitude M0.3, with a cumulative moment of Mw 0.3 over the past 48 hours. Uplift is measured at approximately 42 mm per year, exceeding the decadal average of 26 mm per year, although GNSS data are several weeks old. These automatic preliminary results do not indicate an increase beyond normal levels, and further details are available below.2026-05-29 15:07:02 UTC
In the last 24 hours, one earthquake was recorded at Tungnafellsjökull, which is within normal levels for this area where activity often follows Bárðarbunga. The largest earthquake in the past 48 hours was magnitude M0.3 with a cumulative moment of Mw 0.3, but too few events have occurred to assess trends. Uplift is measured at approximately 42 mm/year, exceeding the decadal average, although GNSS data are several weeks old and uncertain over short timescales. These figures are automatic preliminary results, and further details are available below.Repeated × 2 since 2026-05-25 17:22:30 — last 2026-05-26 13:03:29
In the last 24 hours, no seismic activity was measured at Tungnafellsjökull, which is within normal levels for this area. Uplift is measured at approximately 41 mm/year, though GNSS data are several weeks old and uncertain over short timescales. These automatic preliminary results indicate isolated activity too sparse to assess trends. Further details and maps are available below. 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).