A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck under land 125 kilometer from Akureyri in Iceland in the night of Sunday December 8th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Iceland, 125 kilometer (78 mi) south-southeast of Akureyri in Northeast. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Dec 8, 2024 01:49 (Reykjavik Time) - Dec 8, 2024 01:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 125 km SSE of Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland. Coordinates 64°35'38"N 17°23'56"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Iceland . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Akureyri in Northeast, Iceland. Akureyri is located 125 kilometer (78 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 125 km (78 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Akureyri Northeast, Iceland. |
| 222 km (138 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Reykjavík Capital Region, Iceland. |
| 224 km (139 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kópavogur Capital Region, Iceland. |
| 226 km (140 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Hafnarfjörður Capital Region, Iceland. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 21st, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 11 km (7 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on June 21st, 2020.
In total, 13 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 9 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 21/12/24 02:38 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nwz5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241208_0000012
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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