Contact | RSS | EN | DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | RU

Hekla volcano

Updated: Jun 1, 2023 06:31 GMT -
stratovolcano 1491 m (4,892 ft)
Iceland, 63.99°N / -19.67°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 15 Dec 2021
Hekla in eruption in March 2000 with the large black lava flow in the foreground from that eruption.
Hekla in eruption in March 2000 with the large black lava flow in the foreground from that eruption.

1491-m-high Hekla is one of Iceland's most prominent, most known and active volcanoes. It has frequent eruptions that start with an explosive onset producing eruption plumes, then lava fountains and culminate in large lava flows. Most of the volcano's flanks are covered by extensive lava flows from historical eruptions, dating back to 1104 AD.

Show interactive Map
[hide map] [enlarge]
Typical eruption style: Explosive and effusive.
Hekla volcano eruptions: 1104 (large, Plinian eruption), 1158, 1206, 1222, 1300, 1341, 1389, 1440(?), 1510, 1554, 1597, 1636-37, 1693, 1725, 1766-68, 1845-46, 1878, 1913, 1947-48, 1970, 1980, 1981, 1991, 2000

Latest nearby earthquakes

TimeMag. / DepthDistance/Location
Friday, May 26, 2023 GMT (1 quake)
May 26, 2023 3:10 am (GMT +0) (May 26, 2023 03:10 GMT)
1.2

5.8 km
15 km (9.3 mi)
Iceland: 7.9 Km SW of Búrfellsstöð
Friday, May 19, 2023 GMT (1 quake)
May 19, 2023 4:03 am (GMT +0) (May 19, 2023 04:03 GMT)
1.5

0.6 km
1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Iceland: 1.8 Km W of Hekla

Background

Hekla is located near the southern end of the eastern rift zone. It sits on a rift-transform junction, and has produced basaltic andesites, in contrast to the tholeiitic basalts typical of Icelandic rift zone volcanoes. Hekla's tephras are generally rich in flourine, which is very hazardous to grazing animals.
The elongated shape of the volcano is caused by a 5.5-km-long fissure, Heklugjá, that cuts across the volcano and is often active along its full length during major eruptions. Repeated such eruptions, oblique to most rifting structures in the eastern volcanic zone, have created Hekla's elongated ENE-WSW profile.
Frequent large explosive eruptions during historical times have deposited tephra throughout Iceland and provide important time markers that can be used to date eruptions from other volcanoes in Iceland.

Hekla Photos




See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS
Mon, 15 Nov 2021, 21:05

Hekla volcano (Iceland): increased number of earthquakes in the area

Earthquakes near Hekla volcano in the past 7 days
Aftershocks of Thursday's strong magnitude 5.2 quake under neighboring Vatnafjöll volcano continue with more than 50 tremors detected over the past 48 hours. ... Read all
Tue, 14 Apr 2015, 11:43

Hekla volcano (Iceland): earthquake swarms

Epicenters of recent earthquakes south of Hekla
Small earthquake swarms occurred at shallow depths during the past days near the volcano. The quakes were located approx. 6-10 km south of Hekla volcano and at shallow depths around 5 km. ... Read all
Try our free app!
Volcanoes & Earthquakes - new app for Android
Android | iOS version

More on VolcanoDiscovery

Support us - Help us upgrade our services!

We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world. Maintaining our website and our free apps does require, however, considerable time and resources.
We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team. We're aiming to achieve uninterrupted service wherever an earthquake or volcano eruption unfolds, and your donations can make it happen! Every donation will be highly appreciated. If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please make a donation (PayPal or Online credit card payment).

Planned features:
  • Improved multilanguage support
  • Tsunami alerts
  • Faster responsiveness
Thanks to your past donations, these features have been added recently:
  • Design upgrade
  • Detailed quake stats
  • Additional seismic data sources
Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online:
Android | IOS
Thank you!
Stop Russia's Agression - Support Ukraine
Significant parts of this website use brilliant open-source software developed by Ukrainians. Russia's unprovoked war has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and the beautiful country of Ukraine is being destroyed. We cannot be silent even if the topic of this website has nothing to do with politics.
If you like to support Ukraine from abroad:
Ukrainians recommend the Come Back Alive charity. For other options, see StandWithUkraine.
Sources: VolcanoDiscovery / VolcanoAdventures and other sources as noted.
Use of material: Most text and images on our websites are owned by us. Re-use is generally not permitted without authorization. Contact us for licensing rights.
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
VolcanoDiscovery Home
Volcanoes | Earthquakes | Photos | Volcano News | App
Adventure & Study Travel
Tours to Volcanoes and Volcanic Areas: walking tours, photo tours, study tours
Tours & Dates | FAQ | About us
Get our newsletter!
Company info
Contact | Legal info | Terms & conditions
Follow us
Follow us on facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Visit our Youtube channel
EN | DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | RU
VolcanoDiscovery GmbH, Germany, Reg. nr.: HRB 103744, EU Tax Id: DE 310 395 322 owned and created by
Dr. Tom Pfeiffer, volcanologist, volcano photographer, tour organizer member of
IAVCEI
Volcanological Society
Ecotourism Greece
Insured by R+V
VolcanoDiscovery © 2004- All Rights Reserved | Privacy - cookie settings