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More than 8 000 earthquakes near Keilir, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland

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The earthquake swarm that began just SSW of Keilir in the Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland on September 27, 2021, has produced more than 8 200 earthquakes by October 6, 2021. The quakes are occurring not far from the ongoing Fagradalsfjall eruption at depths between 5 and 7 km (3.1 to 4.3 miles) below the surface.

In 48 hours to 08:57 UTC on October 6, a total of 177 earthquakes have been detected in the area, 17 of them M2+ and 4 M3+.

14 earthquakes with magnitudes above 3 have been recorded since the start of the swarm, with the largest M4.2 at 15:32 UTC on October 2.

"They have been felt in the Reykjanes peninsula and in the southwestern part of Iceland," IMO said.1

The earthquakes could be a sign that magma is collecting below ground, but they are still far from the surface. 

Geological summary

The Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system is described by the Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes as an approximately 50 km (31 miles) long composite fissure swarm trending about N38°E, including a 30 km (18 miles) long swarm of fissures, with no central volcano.

It is one of the volcanic systems arranged en-echelon along the Reykjanes Peninsula west of Kleifarvatn lake.

The Fagradalsfjall and Krýsuvík fissure swarms are considered splits or secondary swarms of the Krýsuvík–Trölladyngja volcanic system. 

Small shield volcanoes have produced a large portion of the erupted volume within the system.

Several eruptions have taken place since the settlement of Iceland, including the eruption of a large basaltic lava flow from the Ogmundargigar crater row around the 12th century.

The latest eruption, identified through tephrochronology, took place during the 14th century.2

References:

1 IMO's Specialist Remark – October 5, 2021 at 16:42 UTC

2 Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja – Geological summary – GVP

Featured image credit: IMO

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4 Comments

  1. PLEASE MARK MY PREDICTION ABOUT ICELAND………………..Iceland will call for help in the next few months to evacuate all its residents before the devastation that will be caused by the explosion of several volcanoes and most likely the population will move to Canada

  2. Jamal,
    If global volcanic activity is on the increase. Why do all the websites dedicated to the science of volcanology say that there is no increase? And again you make a claim and present no evidence to back up your assertion!

    1. Oh My Gosh….Hahahahaha…Glenn, I am sure you know answer to your question, so I do not know why asked it in the first place. Even people who are suffer from deaf-blindness know volcanic eruption is on the increase

  3. THE CLIMATE SCIENCE OF THE MYTH MAKERS…………………..The delegates in the coming United Nations Climate Change Conference that will be held in Glasgow, between Oct 31, 2021 and Nov 12, 2021, will find a solution to the rapid increase in the number of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. CO2 emission by the poor people is the reason for the increase of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The emission of CO2 is also the reason for the shifting of Earth’s Magnetic Poles. Moreover, global warming has shifted the Earth’s axis, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/23/climate-crisis-has-shifted-the-earths-axis-study-shows

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