Northern Iceland Earthquake Swarm Continues; 1500 Earthquakes Yesterday

Over 1,500 earthquakes were detected in northern Iceland yesterday, as the region continues to experience a period of increased seismic activity or an ‘earthquake swarm’.

The largest tremor yesterday measured 4.0 in magnitude and occurred at 12:18 around 30 km northeast of Siglufjördur, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. Seismic activity slightly decreased overnight, with just 300 earthquakes detected, all of which were magnitude 3.0 or lower.

As reported, the current period of increased seismic activity started on June 19th. Over 4,000 earthquakes have been detected during the swarm, three of which were magnitude 5.0 or higher. The epicentre appears to be located some 20 kilometres northeast of Siglufjörður.

The largest earthquake so far occurred on the night of June 21st, measuring 5.8 in magnitude, but natural disasters specialist Einar Hjörleifsson warned MBL yesterday that shakes could reach a magnitude of 7.

It is unclear how the current period of seismic activity will develop, but more tremors are expected and scientists continue to monitor the situation closely.

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