Pingdom Check
08/05/2025 | 3:00 PM

Volcanic activity in Southwest Iceland has ended

Last updated: August 8, 2025

The Icelandic Meteorological Office has announced that the most recent seismic activity near Grindavík in Southwest Iceland has ended.

The eruption began on July 16 and lasted 20 days, with no visible activity since August 5. It was the ninth eruption on the Sundhnúkur crater row and the 12th since activity began in the area in March 2021.

As with previous activity in this area, air travel to and from Iceland was not affected nor were operations at Keflavík airport. Life in the rest of Iceland continued as normal. 

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Lava from the February 2024 eruption, covering snowy ground on the Reykjanes peninsula. Photo credit: Árni Sæberg.

About the recent volcanic activity

The experts from the Icelandic Meteorological Office have put together a great short video to explain in simple terms what's happening on the Reykjanes peninsula, and why it's safe to travel to Iceland.

Location of the activity

The most recent volcanic eruption is the ninth in the Sundhnúkur crater row (the 12th on the peninsula since 2021). All events have been localized to the Grindavík area. The most recent activity was localized to a similar area as in other 2024–25 eruptions, close to the Sundhnúksgígar crater row, not far north of Grindavík.

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Our preparedness

Iceland is a volcanic island, with many active volcano systems. Eruptions and earthquakes are a part of our DNA, and we Icelanders are always well prepared for volcanic events.

The country’s incredible nature has given us excellent training and expertise to deal with unique situations – you can learn about Iceland's volcanic history in our guide to volcanoes in Iceland.

In fact, we’ve now experienced 12 eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula over the last four years:

  • The first three, at Fagradalsfjall in 2021, 2022 and July 2023, were so-called ‘tourist eruptions’ that thousands of locals and tourists witnessed and enjoyed.
  • The fourth eruption was at the Sundhnúksgígar crater row on December 18, 2023, and lava flow stopped within 72 hours.
  • The fifth eruption was close to the town of Grindavík, beginning on January 14, 2024. The seismic activity in the area, coupled with the January eruption, has had a devastating effect on this small community.
  • The sixth eruption began on February 8, 2024, close to the site of the fourth eruption. The lava flow stopped within 48 hours.
  • The seventh eruption began on March 16, 2024, in the same area as the eruption in February and December. It lasted longer than its predecessors and ended on May 9.
  • The eighth eruption began on May 29, 2024, in the Sundhnúksgígar crater row and was declared over on June 22 after 24 days.
  • The ninth eruption began on August 22, 2024, again in the Sundhnúksgígar area, and ended on September 5 after 14 days.
  • The tenth eruption began on November 20, 2024, in the Sundhnúksgígar area, and ended on December 8.
  • The 11th eruption began at 9:44am on April 1, 2025, and was over within 24 hours.
  • The 12th eruption began just before 4am on July 16, 2025, and ended on August 5 after 20 days.

None of the recent eruptions have affected flight schedules or operations at Keflavík airport.

Did you know that there are currently over 40 volcanoes erupting around the globe without significantly disrupting air traffic?

Visiting volcanic areas

You can see detailed information about hiking trails around Fagradalsfjall, as well as accessible viewpoints for the most recent eruption, on the Visit Reykjanes website.

Always follow local advice regarding trail access and gas pollution warnings. See the Safetravel website for more information.

Banner photo: View of the lava fields surrounding the Fagradalsfjall volcano.

Read more

For more information on the situation, we recommend the following sites:

Safetravel – general information on safety in the area

Icelandic Road Authority – road closures in the Southwest

Icelandic Meteorological Office – detailed updates from experts

Visit Reykjanes – news for the region

RÚV – live blog in English from the national broadcaster

mbl.is – links to livestreams from the Grindavík area

Government of Iceland – official information from the Icelandic government

Air quality – check the air quality across the country

The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management – known in Icelandic as 'Almannavarnir'

The volcanic reawakening of the Reykjanes peninsula

  • A new era of volcanic activity: The 2021 eruption was the first volcanic eruption in Iceland in 6 years and the first one in the Reykjanes peninsula in 800 years.
  • The 2021 eruption: The eruption was situated in the Geldingadalir valley next to the mountain named Fagradalsfjall. The location was compared to a massive bathtub that lava can slowly pour into. The eruption began on March 19, 2021, and lasted for 6 months before ceasing in September.
  • The 2022 eruption: On August 3, 2022, the volcano restarted, erupting from a fissure in the Meradalir valley, not far from the crater that erupted for the longest period during the 2021 eruption. It ended on August 21, 2022.
  • The July 2023 eruption: On July 4, 2023, significant seismic activity resumed on Reykjanes, indicating that a new eruption might start in the area between the mountains Keilir and Fagradalsfjall. On July 10, a small eruption started at Litli Hrútur, close to Fagradalsfjall. It ended on August 6, 2023.

Photo: Aerial view of the lava fields from the Fagradalsfjall volcano.

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Previous eruptions

We kept a close eye on the Fagradalsfjall volcano eruptions in the summers of 2021 to 2023. These eruptions had no impact on flight operations, and they occurred a relative distance from infrastructure and towns.

We invite you to read more about their magnetic appeal.