M5.2 Earthquake 9 km SW of Álftanes, Iceland — July 9, 2023
2023-07-09 22:22:59 UTC (2023-07-09) · approx. 9:22 PM UTC-1 local
Felt by 50 people across nearby locations.
On July 9, 2023 at 22:22 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km SW of Álftanes, Iceland, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 64.0461°, -22.1636°. This earthquake was detected by 229 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 435, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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 50 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
-22.1636°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Álftanes, Iceland?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 9 km SW of Álftanes, Iceland on July 9, 2023 at 22:22 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 64.0461°, -22.1636°, which is 9 km SW of Álftanes, 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: us6000kr82). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 9, 2023). M5.2 Earthquake 9 km SW of Álftanes, Iceland — July 9, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kr82/