Volcano in Iceland
Vestmannaeyjar volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Vestmannaeyjar is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 1973 (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Vestmannaeyjar: 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: 1973
- Elevation
- 283 m 929 ft
- Type
- Submarine volcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 0 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Reykjavík 113 km NW
Is Vestmannaeyjar erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Vestmannaeyjar right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 1973. 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 Vestmannaeyjar
USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Vestmannaeyjar 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 Vestmannaeyjar
Vestmannaeyjar is a submarine volcano in Iceland-S, Iceland, rising to 283 m (929 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Submarine volcanoes erupt under the sea; shallow ones can produce steam explosions, pumice rafts and discoloured water.
The nearest large town is Reykjavík, about 113 km NW of the summit.
- Reykjavík (113 km) earthquakes nearby
Flights and volcanic ash
1 major airport is within 400 km; the closest is Keflavík (KEF), 131 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) | 131 km | WNW |
Other volcanoes in Iceland
Iceland has 20 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Eyjafjallajokull, 40 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.