Abstract
ON August 26, at 10.30 p.m. and next day, at 9.15 a.m., severe earthquake shocks were felt throughout the south-western part of Iceland. The seismic focus seems to have been situated in the neighbourhood of the volcanic ridge out of which Hekla rises, and the waves moved in a direction which they had formerly been observed to take, namely from north-east to south-west. According to reports to hand, these shocks were felt as far north-west as Тsafjord and as far north as the head of Skagafjord. Thus it appears they overran an area of more than 20,000 square miles, or half the island, for they also caused damage in the Westman Islands, which lie further south than the most southern point of Iceland. Even at sea the shock was felt. A sailing ship was so badly shaken, thirty-five miles from land, that the crew feared it had struck a rock, and began to lower the boats.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
STEFANSSON, J. The Recent Earthquakes in Iceland. Nature 54, 574–575 (1896). https://doi.org/10.1038/054574b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/054574b0