Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Iceland
Iceland has catalogued 985 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 34th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.0.
Iceland ranks 34th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 47 M4+ events a year alongside 13 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1910 to 2020, peaking in 2000.
- 985
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 13
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.0
- Strongest
- ~47
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Iceland is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 985 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 13 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.0.
- 2000
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 12 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Canada sits immediately above at 1,033 events and Bolivia sits immediately below at 835.
Catalog event strip
Event tape ICELAND · Iceland M4+ · 34th/187
Iceland · 985 M4+ · max M7.0 · 13 M6+
- BOOK 985
- RANK 34th/187
- MAX M7.0
- M6 13
- DEPTH near Canada
- PHOTO 100% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Iceland
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 9 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 7.9. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 9
- Average observed MMI
- 7.9
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 1 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Iceland sits in the catalog
Rank 34th of 187 tracked countries (82th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Canada sits immediately above at 1,033 events and Bolivia sits immediately below at 835.
Iceland's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
985 Top 18% higher than 82% of 187 countries
Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Iceland by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1910
1910: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1912
1912: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1921
1921: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1929
1929: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1934
1934: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1963
1963: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1968
1968: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1976
1976: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1987
1987: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2000
2000: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2008
2008: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2020
2020: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Iceland's most active year for major earthquakes was 2000 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
2 of 985 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 13 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Iceland.
M6.0-6.9
13
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 13 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 12 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
13
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Iceland
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 79 km N of Norðurþing, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jan 22, 1910 |
| 6.9 | 41 km W of Siglufjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Mar 28, 1963 |
| 6.8 | 67 km E of Selfoss, Iceland | 15.0 km | May 6, 1912 |
| 6.5 | 12 km ENE of Selfoss, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 21, 2000 |
| 6.5 | 25 km E of Selfoss, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 17, 2000 |
| 6.4 | 36 km ENE of Norðurþing, Iceland | 33.0 km | Jan 13, 1976 |
| 6.4 | 98 km NNW of Siglufjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Aug 23, 1921 |
| 6.3 | 1 km ESE of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jul 23, 1929 |
| 6.3 | 8 km N of Selfoss, Iceland | 9.0 km | May 29, 2008 |
| 6.2 | 19 km SW of Dalvík, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 2, 1934 |
Significant earthquake record (13 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Iceland since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 27 km NNE of Siglufjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 21, 2020 |
| 6.3 | 8 km N of Selfoss, Iceland | 9.0 km | May 29, 2008 |
| 6.5 | 12 km ENE of Selfoss, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 21, 2000 |
| 6.5 | 25 km E of Selfoss, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 17, 2000 |
| 6.0 | 52 km NNE of Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland | 7.6 km | May 25, 1987 |
| 6.4 | 36 km ENE of Norðurþing, Iceland | 33.0 km | Jan 13, 1976 |
| 6.1 | 13 km S of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Dec 5, 1968 |
| 6.9 | 41 km W of Siglufjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Mar 28, 1963 |
| 6.2 | 19 km SW of Dalvík, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jun 2, 1934 |
| 6.3 | 1 km ESE of Hafnarfjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jul 23, 1929 |
| 6.4 | 98 km NNW of Siglufjörður, Iceland | 10.0 km | Aug 23, 1921 |
| 6.8 | 67 km E of Selfoss, Iceland | 15.0 km | May 6, 1912 |
| 7.0 | 79 km N of Norðurþing, Iceland | 10.0 km | Jan 22, 1910 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Iceland-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Iceland-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-26.