Around 240 Earthquakes Recorded Near Grímsey

Around 240 earthquakes have been recorded near Grímsey since early this morning, the largest measuring 4.7 in magnitude, reports RÚV.

Halla Ingólfsdóttir, a resident of Grímsey, says she was woken by the strongest quake in a seismic swarm currently underway east of the island. She got out of bed and felt another tremor before falling back asleep.

The largest aftershock measured 3.5, but Iðunn Kara Valdimarsdóttir from the Icelandic Met Office says several smaller ones have been recorded around or below magnitude 3, with most under magnitude 2.

Halla says she hasn’t felt any further tremors. Still, the people of Grímsey are no strangers to seismic activity — in the autumn of 2022, a similar swarm lasted several weeks.

“Whether you’re used to it or not — it’s always unsettling, especially when they’re this strong. Maybe you don’t react as much to the smaller ones, but it’s always very unpleasant, at least for me,” says Halla.

Grímsey is a small island 40 kilometres off Iceland’s north coast, where it straddles the Arctic Circle. Around 60 people live on the island.