Category: Swarm

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Strong earthquake swarm in Tjörnes Fracture Zone – Flatey – Húsavík fault

Today (15-September-2020) at 14:52 UTC an earthquake with magnitude Mw4,6 took place on Flatey – Húsavík fault line. This earthquake was felt over a wide area and at the writing of this article no damage has been reported in the news.


The earthquake activity in Tjörnes Fracture Zone. Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Second largest earthquake took place at 17:06 UTC and had a magnitude of Mw4,0. This earthquake was felt but less than earlier earthquake because of smaller magnitude. This earthquake activity has increased the risk of a large earthquake in this area or on nearby faults. This might result in a earthquake in the magnitude range of Mw6,0 to Mw7,1 in this part of the Tjörnes Fracture Zone. The earthquake swarm is ongoing at the writing of this article.

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Earthquake activity in Hamarinn volcano (Loki-Fögrufjöll)

During the night (15-September-2020) an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,1 took place in Hamarinn volcano (Loki-Fögrufjöll) (part of Bárðarbunga volcano). This earthquake is part of an activity that has been happening in this location for more than a week. It’s unclear what this activity means but it has been recorded that in 2011 few weeks before a minor eruption in volcano there was an increase in earthquake activity before the eruption took place. This earthquake activity is ongoing at the writing of this article.


The earthquake activity in Hamarinn volcano. Green star shows the main active area. Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

When this earthquake took place there was no change in harmonic tremor on nearby SIL stations. An eruption in Hamarinn volcano don’t seem to require a lot of earthquake activity before it starts. I don’t know why that is but that was the experience in the minor eruption in July 2011.

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Earthquake yesterday (14-September-2020) in Tjörnes Fracture Zone

Yesterday (14-September-2020) an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,4 took place in Tjörnes Fracture Zone, this earthquake was felt in Dalvík and Ólafsfirði towns. This is the first earthquake with magnitude above Mw3,0 in at least a month in this area. The earthquake swarm has been ongoing but all the earthquakes that have happened have been small in magnitude.


The earthquake swarm in Tjörnes Fracture Zone. This image is used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake swarm is ongoing as it has been since 19th of June 2020 when it started. I don’t expect that to change and risk of a large earthquake remains in the Tjörnes Fracture Zone.

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Earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano Saturday 12th September 2020

On Saturday 12th September 2020 an earthquake swarm started in Krýsuvík volcano. This earthquake swarm did only go on for few hours before it stopped for now.


Earthquake activity in Krýsuvík volcano. Image used with permission and copyright of image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Largest earthquake in this swarm had magnitude Mw3,0 and all other earthquakes where smaller. The magnitude Mw3,0 earthquake was felt in Reykjavík.

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Upgrades and changes

I am currently working on upgrades and changes. That means little bit of testing here and there. I try to keep it minimal as possible but it can’t be fully avoided.

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Earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano

Yesterday (7-September-2020) an earthquake swarm took place in Krýsuvík volcano early morning. The largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw3,3 and the second largest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw2,8. Other earthquakes where smaller in magnitude.


The earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano. Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake activity is part of the inflation in volcanoes in the volcanoes in this area because of influx of magma at 3 km to 8 km depth. While no eruption has not yet happened that is the most likely outcome of all of this activity. When this enters the eruption phase is something that cannot be predicted.

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Minor earthquake swarm in Katla volcano

Today (3-September-2020) at 12:39 UTC and earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,1 took place in Katla volcano. Few smaller earthquakes took place in this same location. No change in harmonic tremor was detected during this earthquake activity.


The earthquake activity in Katla volcano. Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Katla volcano has been quiet during the summer of 2020 and it doesn’t seems like that anything more is about to happen following this earthquake activity. Since 15:53 UTC everything has been quiet in Katla volcano. This earthquake activity appears to have stopped.

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Magnitude Mw3,4 earthquake in Reykjanes volcano

Today (3-September-2020) at 10:57 UTC an earthquake with magnitude of Mw3,4 took place in Reykjanes volcano. This earthquake is part of the ongoing earthquake activity that started in this area in January 2020 and has been going on since then. This earthquake activity happens in waves and there are quiet period between high activity.


Earthquake activity in Reykjanes volcano. Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

There continues to be high risk for stronger earthquake activity in this area because of magma injections into the crust at 3 to 8 km depth in this area. Earthquake activity is ongoing in Reykjanes volcano.

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Earthquake swarm around 42 km north of Kolbeinsey island

During the night of 3-September-2020 an earthquake swarm took place around 42 km to 50 km north of Kolbeinsey island. Because of distance from the SIL network the earthquakes that where detected do not have accurate location or magnitude.


Earthquake activity north of Kolbeinsey Island (green stars). Image used with permission and copyright belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This might just be regular earthquake activity that happens on the Kolbeinsey ridge or in Kolbeinsey island. This area is all under a deep ocean and that makes it impossible to know for sure what is going on at this location.

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Ongoing earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík and Reykjanes volcanoes boundaries

Yesterday (29-August-2020) an ongoing earthquake swarm in Krýsuvík volcano or in the Reykjanes volcano increased. I am unclear what volcano system is responsible for this earthquake activity. It might be both volcanoes and if that is case it complicates matter.


The earthquake activity yesterday close to Krýsuvík or in Krýsuvík volcano. Used with permission and copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

Largest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw3,6 at 19:06 UTC and the second largest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw3,4 at 16:23 UTC. Two earthquakes with magnitude MW3,0 also took place. The strongest earthquakes where felt in Reykjavík and other nearby towns. This earthquake activity is part of the activity that started in January in Reykjanes volcano and has been ongoing since then. Its has moved a little east in recent months and I am unclear on why that is exactly. There are no clear signs that magma is moving at the writing of this article to the surface.

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Strong earthquake swarm east of Fagradalsfjall mountain

Today (26-August-2020) a strong earthquake swarm took place east of Fagradalsfjall mountain. Strongest earthquake in this swarm had a magnitude of Mw4,2 and second strongest earthquake had a magnitude of Mw3,7. Three other earthquakes with magnitude above Mw3,0 took place in this earthquake swarm. At the writing of this article total of 350 earthquakes have taken place.


The earthquake swarm on the Reykjanes peninsula in Reykjanes volcano. Image used with permission and copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Met Office.

This earthquake swam seems to be at the most eastern end of a volcano called Reykjanes. This activity happens in swarms and at the writing of this article a new activity has started. It is not possible to know how long this activity is going to last. At the writing of this article there are no signs that magma has started to find a path to the surface and current data suggest this earthquake activity only to be tectonic earthquake currently. GPS data continues to suggest injection of magma into the crust at 8 km to 3 km depth in Reykjanes volcano. This injection of magma has been going on since January-2020.