Back to map

M5.0 Earthquake near Reykjanes Ridge

UTC time: 2026-10-21 21:58:48 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

Reykjanes Ridge

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Reykjanes Ridge · 2026-10-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Reykjanes Ridge · 2026-10-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 21, 2026 at 21:58 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Reykjanes Ridge. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
82d72d47be287df885803d3ffbe2f175c0d6aa92
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-21 21:58:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
56.86300, -34.13060
Temperature
4.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the North America Plate.
Near the boundary North America ↔ Eurasia · about 8 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Reykjanesbaer1009.5 kmNE19'724
Reykjavik1043.1 kmNE118'918

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.3.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM5.310.0 km0.0 km
SERBIA_RSZM4.910.0 km19.6 km
EMSCM5.314.0 km9.4 km
GFZM5.310.0 km7.6 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥413
Earlier events M≥53
Compared since2025-02-09

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M5.32026-09-20 00:58:14 UTC42.2 kmReykjanes Ridge M5.22026-09-19 20:24:42 UTC48.0 kmReykjanes Ridge M5.02026-10-21 19:06:07 UTC30.7 kmReykjanes Ridge M4.62025-12-13 14:30:42 UTC140.0 kmREYKJANES RIDGE M4.62025-10-12 19:06:09 UTC31.5 kmReykjanes Ridge

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
563
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share