Volcanoes by country

Iceland

Volcanoes in Iceland

Map, activity and eruption history

The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 35 volcanoes in Iceland. This page brings together the map, report status, eruption history and the surroundings of every single volcano. None of them currently has a running eruption report.

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Earthquakes · Iceland
With a current report
None No current eruption report
Volcanoes in the catalogue
35
Documented eruptions
171
Highest volcano
2,010 mOraefajokull
Last documented eruption
2025Reykjanes

Map

Volcano map of Iceland

Every volcano in the country with plate boundaries, air traffic within 50 km, airports and nuclear power plants. Earthquakes can be added on top.

Map layers

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Markers show the catalogue position of a volcano, not the extent of a hazard zone. Plate boundaries after Bird (2003), PB2002.

All volcanoes in Iceland

Sorted by report status and elevation. Every entry opens the full volcano profile.

Volcano catalogue
  1. Oraefajokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,010 m
    Last eruption
    1728
    Eruptions
    2
  2. Bardarbunga No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    2,000 m
    Last eruption
    2015
    Eruptions
    8
  3. Kverkfjoll No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,930 m
    Last eruption
    1968
    Eruptions
    8
  4. Snaefell No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,833 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —
  5. Hofsjokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Fissure vent
    Elevation
    1,765 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —
  6. Grimsvotn No current eruption report
    Type
    Caldera
    Elevation
    1,719 m
    Last eruption
    2011
    Eruptions
    8
  7. Eyjafjallajokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,651 m
    Last eruption
    2010
    Eruptions
    5
  8. Thordarhyrna No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,650 m
    Last eruption
    1904
    Eruptions
    3
  9. Esjufjoll No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,620 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    1
  10. Tungnafellsjokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,523 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —
  11. Hekla No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,490 m
    Last eruption
    2000
    Eruptions
    8
  12. Katla No current eruption report
    Type
    Fissure vent
    Elevation
    1,490 m
    Last eruption
    1918
    Eruptions
    8
  13. Tindfjallajokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,464 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —
  14. Snaefellsjokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,446 m
    Last eruption
    200
    Eruptions
    8
  15. Prestahnukur No current eruption report
    Type
    Fissure vent
    Elevation
    1,385 m
    Last eruption
    3350 BCE
    Eruptions
    3
  16. Torfajokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,280 m
    Last eruption
    1477
    Eruptions
    8
  17. Oddnyjarhnjukur-Langjokull No current eruption report
    Type
    Fissure vent
    Elevation
    1,100 m
    Last eruption
    950
    Eruptions
    6
  18. Askja No current eruption report
    Type
    Stratovolcano
    Elevation
    1,080 m
    Last eruption
    1961
    Eruptions
    8
  19. Ljosufjoll No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    1,063 m
    Last eruption
    960
    Eruptions
    5
  20. Helgrindur No current eruption report
    Type
    Volcanic field
    Elevation
    986 m
    Last eruption
    Not available
    Eruptions
    —

“Last eruption” is a catalogue record, not evidence of activity in progress.

Significant volcanic eruptions in Iceland

Eruptions with fatalities, damage or high explosivity from the NOAA NCEI database of significant volcanic eruptions.

  1. 1784 Grimsvotn VEI 4 9,350 Deaths
  2. 1300 Hekla VEI 4 600 Deaths
  3. 1362 Oraefajokull VEI 5 220 Deaths
  4. 1629 Grimsvotn VEI 2 4 Deaths
  5. 1727 Oraefajokull VEI 4 3 Deaths
  6. 1755 Katla VEI 4 2 Deaths
  7. 2010 Eyjafjallajokull VEI 2 2 Deaths
  8. 1947 Hekla VEI 4 1 Deaths
  9. 1510 Hekla VEI 4 1 Deaths
  10. 1973 Vestmannaeyjar VEI 3 1 Deaths 300 houses destroyed
  11. 1684 Grimsvotn VEI 2 1 Deaths
  12. 1927 Esjufjoll VEI 1 1 Deaths
  13. 2023 Reykjanes 1 Deaths Damage: moderate (roughly 1–5 million USD) 3 houses destroyed
  14. 1860 Grimsvotn 1 Deaths
  15. 1477 Bardarbunga VEI 6 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  16. 1875 Askja VEI 5 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  17. 1721 Katla VEI 5 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  18. 1625 Katla VEI 5
  19. 1104 Hekla VEI 5 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  20. 1918 Katla VEI 4 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD) Tsunami
  21. 1845 Hekla VEI 4 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  22. 1766 Hekla VEI 4 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)
  23. 1693 Hekla VEI 4 Tsunami
  24. 1660 Katla VEI 4 Damage: limited (below 1 million USD)

Explosivity of the documented eruptions

VEI · 150

VEI 0
63
VEI 1
14
VEI 2
42
VEI 3
19
VEI 4
9
VEI 5
3
VEI 6
0

The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) runs from 0 (effusive) to 8 (super-eruptive). Each step stands for roughly ten times the erupted mass.

Eruptions per century

1500–1599
1
1600–1699
4
1700–1799
9
1800–1899
11
1900–1999
41
2000–2099
16

Documented eruptions since 1500. Earlier centuries are recorded less completely, so a rise also reflects better observation.

Earthquakes near volcanoes – Iceland

18 events in the last 30 days within 50 km of a volcano in Iceland.

Earthquakes · Iceland

Spatial proximity does not establish a volcanic origin. Many events in volcanic regions are tectonic.

Tectonic setting and volcano types

What the volcanic landscape of Iceland is made of and which tectonic setting it sits in.

Tectonic setting

  • Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)35

Most common volcano types

  • Stratovolcano15
  • Fissure vent10
  • Crater rows4
  • Volcanic field3
  • Caldera2

Infrastructure within 100 km

Airports with scheduled service and nuclear power plant sites near a volcano in Iceland.

Airports 8

  • Keflavik International Airport19.5 km · KEF
  • Reykjavík Domestic Airport23.0 km · RKV
  • Grímsey Airport25.4 km · GRY
  • Akureyri International Airport56.4 km · AEY
  • Hornafjörður Airport58.1 km · HFN
  • Egilsstaðir Airport76.6 km · EGS
  • Þórshöfn Airport80.4 km · THO
  • Vopnafjörður Airport85.8 km · VPN

Nuclear power plants 0

No site from the included datasets lies within this radius.

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts.

Volcanoes in profile – Iceland

Short descriptions of the country's best-known volcanoes.

Oraefajokull

Stratovolcano · 2,010 m · Last eruption: 1728

Öræfajökull is an ice-covered volcano in south-east Iceland. The largest active volcano and the highest peak in Iceland at 2,110 metres (6,920 ft), it lies within the Vatnajökull National Park and is covered by part of the glacier.

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Bardarbunga

Stratovolcano · 2,000 m · Last eruption: 2015

Situated in the Ódáðahraun lava field, Trölladyngja is the biggest of the Icelandic shield volcanoes, reaching a height of 1,460 metres (4,790 ft) above sea level, and rising almost 600 m (2,000 ft) above the surrounding desert and lava fields. It part of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system and has a volume of 15 km3 (3.6 cu mi) with some extensive lava flows to the north of Bárðarbunga.

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Kverkfjoll

Stratovolcano · 1,930 m · Last eruption: 1968

Kverkfjöll is a potentially active central volcano, fissure swarm, and associated mountain range situated on the northern border of the glacier Vatnajökull in Iceland.

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Snaefell

Stratovolcano · 1,833 m · Last eruption: Not available

Snæfell at 1,833 m (6,014 ft) high, is an ice-capped stratovolcano located in the north-east part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. While it has been dormant in the Holocene, it is now known to have had repose times of over 100,000 years between eruptions, so it cannot be assumed to be extinct.

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Hofsjokull

Fissure vent · 1,765 m · Last eruption: Not available

Kerlingarfjöll is a 1,477 m (4,846 ft) tall volcanic massif in Iceland situated in the Highlands of Iceland near the Kjölur highland road. It is usually regarded as part of a large tuya fissure system of 100 km2 (39 sq mi) in the southern portion of the Hofsjökull volcanic system, although is about 20–30 km (12–19 mi) in diameter itself, and is between 68 and 350 thousand years old predating some of the activity in the rest of the system. The volcanic origin of these mountains is evidenced by tholeiite basalt deposits, the numerous hot springs and rivulets in the area, as well as red volcanic rhyolite stone most marked near the two caldera. Minerals that have emerged from the hot springs also color the ground yellow, red and green.

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Grimsvotn

Caldera · 1,719 m · Last eruption: 2011

Laki or Lakagígar is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly referred to as Lakagígar, while Laki is a mountain that the fissure bisects. Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn, including the volcano Þórðarhyrna. It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull, in an area of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction.

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Short descriptions: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions about volcanoes in Iceland

How many volcanoes are there in Iceland?
The Holocene catalogue of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 35 volcanoes in Iceland. It covers volcanoes with eruptions during the last roughly 12,000 years.
Which volcano in Iceland is the highest?
The highest recorded volcano is Oraefajokull at 2,010 m.
When was the last documented eruption in Iceland?
The most recent eruption documented in the catalogue dates from 2025 (Reykjanes).
Are the volcanoes in Iceland active?
None of the 35 volcanoes currently has an eruption report. That does not mean they are extinct – source coverage differs from volcano to volcano.
Why does the map show aircraft around volcanoes?
Volcanic ash endangers aircraft engines. The map therefore shows live positions within 50 km of a volcano so that the proximity of air traffic to an active volcano becomes visible.
Where does the data on this page come from?
Catalogue data and eruption history from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, significant eruptions from NOAA NCEI, alert levels and bulletins from USGS, GeoNet and INGV, earthquakes from the QuakeMap24 database, flight positions from ADSB.lol.

Volcanoes in other countries

Countries with at least 5 volcanoes in the catalogue.

All countries with volcanoes

Sources and data dates

Everything shown comes from the public sources listed below and is updated automatically.

QuakeMap24 is not a warning authority. Follow the responsible authorities when making local decisions.