M4.8 Earthquake 8 km W of Álftanes, Iceland — March 1, 2021
2021-03-01 01:31:41 UTC (2021-03-01) · approx. 12:31 AM UTC-1 local
Felt by 12 people across nearby locations.
On March 1, 2021 at 01:31 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km W of Álftanes, Iceland, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 64.1036°, -22.1816°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 12 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
-22.1816°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Álftanes, Iceland?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 8 km W of Álftanes, Iceland on March 1, 2021 at 01:31 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 64.1036°, -22.1816°, which is 8 km W of Álftanes, Iceland. View all earthquakes in Iceland.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000deg9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, March 1, 2021). M4.8 Earthquake 8 km W of Álftanes, Iceland — March 1, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000deg9/