Volcano in Iceland
Hekla volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Hekla is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 1980 (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Hekla: 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: 1980
- Elevation
- 1,490 m 4,889 ft
- Type
- Stratovolcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 0 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Reykjavík 110 km W
Is Hekla erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Hekla right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 1980. 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 Hekla
USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Hekla in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.
About Hekla
Hekla is a stratovolcano in Iceland-S, Iceland, rising to 1,490 m (4,889 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Stratovolcanoes are steep cones built from alternating lava and ash layers; their eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns that can reach cruising altitude.
The nearest large town is Reykjavík, about 110 km W of the summit.
- Reykjavík (110 km) earthquakes nearby
Flights and volcanic ash
1 major airport is within 400 km; the closest is Keflavík (KEF), 143 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) | 143 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 Mundafell, 2 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.