Earthquake of Magnitude 5.1 Overnight
The area on the Reykjanes peninsula where most of the seismic activity has occurred since yesterday. Map/Icelandic Met Office
An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit the Reykjanes peninsula, Southwest Iceland, at 3:14 this morning. Its source was 2.4 km south-southwest of Fagradalsfjall mountain. It shook the bed of many a resident, not only on the peninsula, but also in the capital area, in addition to as far east as Hella, South Iceland, and as far north as Búðardalur, West Iceland, according to vedur.is.
Then, at 8:49 am, an earthquake of magnitude 3.1 hit the same area, followed a minute later by one of magnitude 4.6. The source of both of them was south-southeast of Fagradalsfjall mountain. The larger one was felt in the capital area.
About 700 tremors have registered since midnight, 19 thereof in excess of magnitude 3.
The seismic activity is mainly on the south side of Fagradalsfjall mountain, except for a few earthquakes just northeast of Grindavík, the larger one measuring 3.9 at 4:35, and a few by Trölladyngja.
No volcanic unrest has been detected.
The localized seismic activity this morning is believed to indicate that the magma dyke that extends from Keilir mountain to Fagradalsfjall mountain is growing, according to vedur.is.
As we reported yesterday, that magma dyke is believed to be at a depth of only one km at the dyke’s southernmost end, south of Fagradalsfjall, where it is the closest to the surface.
