Volcano in Iceland
Grimsvotn volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Grimsvotn is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 1996 (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Grimsvotn: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.
- Status now
- No open report
- Last eruption
- 1964 or later last significant: 1996
- Elevation
- 1,719 m 5,640 ft
- Type
- Caldera
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 2 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Reykjavík 223 km W
Is Grimsvotn erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Grimsvotn right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 1996. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.
No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).
Earthquakes near Grimsvotn
USGS located 2 earthquakes within 50 km of Grimsvotn in the past 30 days, 1 of them in the last week. The largest was M5.3 on Oct 19, 2026, 20 km NNW of the summit at 10 km depth.
0 of them were shallower than 10 km. Swarms of shallow quakes can mean magma or gas is moving, but most swarms end without an eruption; observatories combine them with ground deformation and gas data.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Distance | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 14:44 UTC | M5.3 | 20 km NNW | 10 km | 116 km WNW of Höfn, Iceland |
| Oct 5, 17:28 UTC | M4.7 | 10 km W | 10 km | 112 km W of Höfn, Iceland |
About Grimsvotn
Grimsvotn is a caldera in Iceland-NE, Iceland, rising to 1,719 m (5,640 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
A caldera is a large collapse depression left after a major eruption; activity can range from small steam blasts to rare, very large eruptions.
The nearest large town is Reykjavík, about 223 km W of the summit.
- Reykjavík (223 km)
Flights and volcanic ash
1 major airport is within 400 km; the closest is Keflavík (KEF), 260 km away. Volcanic ash melts in jet engines, so an explosive eruption can close airspace and cancel flights even far downwind.
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.
| Airport | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Keflavík (KEF) | 260 km | W |
Other volcanoes in Iceland
Iceland has 20 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Lakagigar, 1 km away.
Nearby volcanoes
Volcanoes in Iceland
More
Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.