M5.4 Earthquake 109 km S of Akureyri, Iceland — July 28, 2026
2026-07-28 05:36:39 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 4:36 AM UTC-1 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.7 (severe).
On July 28, 2026 at 05:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 109 km S of Akureyri, Iceland, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 64.7107°, -17.7103°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 89 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 449, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Akureyri (population 18,925).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.2 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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 78,097 |
| MMI 4 | light | 3,828 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 4 |
Earthquake Details
-17.7103°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Akureyri, Iceland?
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that struck 109 km S of Akureyri, Iceland on July 28, 2026 at 05:36 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 64.7107°, -17.7103°, which is 109 km S of Akureyri, Iceland. The nearest populated place is Akureyri (population 18,925). View all earthquakes in Iceland.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.4 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 5.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tgaw). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 28, 2026). M5.4 Earthquake 109 km S of Akureyri, Iceland — July 28, 2026. Retrieved July 28, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tgaw/