M4.5 Earthquake 7 km SSW of Álftanes, Iceland — July 5, 2023
2023-07-05 17:53:19 UTC (2023-07-05) · approx. 4:53 PM UTC-1 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On July 5, 2023 at 17:53 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km SSW of Álftanes, Iceland, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 64.0375°, -22.0794°. This earthquake was detected by 58 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 313, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — 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 4 citizen responses 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
-22.0794°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Álftanes, Iceland?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 7 km SSW of Álftanes, Iceland on July 5, 2023 at 17:53 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 64.0375°, -22.0794°, which is 7 km SSW of Álftanes, Iceland. View all earthquakes in Iceland.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kq9v). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 5, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake 7 km SSW of Álftanes, Iceland — July 5, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kq9v/