Earlier this morning, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was detected 30 km east-southeast of Grimsey, an island off the north coast of Iceland. An earthquake and its aftershocks were detected in Akureyri.
Additionally, an earthquake swarm was detected at Hell’s Blaze on the Vatnajökull Plateau, producing the largest earthquakes up to magnitude 3.0.
About 3,600 earthquakes have been recorded near Hell’s Blaze since October 22nd. The strongest so far was a magnitude 4.1 and the most significant activity since measurements began near Hell’s Blaze in 1991.
Although hundreds of kilometers apart, the GrÃmsey earthquake, part of the Tjörnes fault zone, and the latest earthquake swarm near Herðubreið are part of the same system, resting along the plate boundary in northern Iceland. Herðubreið is also important for its proximity to Askya, Iceland’s major volcanic system, which erupted in 1875 and wreaked havoc on agriculture.
Mount Hell’s Blaze is located within Iceland’s largest continuous lava field, the Odzahraun lava field, totaling 4,400 km² (1,699 mi²). In particular, Hell’s Blaze, which means ‘broad shoulder’, was named Iceland’s national mountain in 2002. It is considered Iceland’s most beautiful mountain, formed by volcanic activity beneath a glacier.
Post Earthquake rocks Grimsey, Hell’s Blaze Overnight first appeared in Iceland Revue.
