M5.2 Earthquake 190 km SW of Grindavík, Iceland — August 1, 2021
2021-08-01 10:40:27 UTC (2021-08-01) · approx. 8:40 AM UTC-2 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On August 1, 2021 at 10:40 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 190 km SW of Grindavík, Iceland, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 62.6943°, -25.2607°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Iceland, a region characterized by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian plates diverge at 18-25 mm per year, amplified by the Iceland mantle plume. The nearest mapped fault system is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. View all earthquakes in Iceland.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-25.2607°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Grindavík, Iceland?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 190 km SW of Grindavík, Iceland on August 1, 2021 at 10:40 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 62.6943°, -25.2607°, which is 190 km SW of Grindavík, Iceland. View all earthquakes in Iceland.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Iceland had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Iceland was the M6.6 South Iceland earthquake of June 17, 2000. Today's magnitude 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000f17k). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, August 1, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake 190 km SW of Grindavík, Iceland — August 1, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000f17k/