Slope above Svínafellsjökull begins moving again

A slope above Svínafellsjökull glacier has been moving since 23 September, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, mbl.is reported on Sunday.

Monitoring equipment on Svínafellsheiði, above the glacier’s eastern side, has recorded deformation of about one to three centimetres. The measurements are the clearest movement detected since monitoring began in autumn 2018. Experts from the Meteorological Office and the University of Iceland say the slope appears to have started moving again, and the office has stepped up its monitoring.

The movement is slow and does not, on its own, indicate an imminent risk of a rockslide. The current measurements do not require special preparedness beyond increased monitoring, analysis and follow-up, the office said.

A large landslide fell from the slope onto the glacier in 2013. The Meteorological Office’s 2025 hazard assessment said a rockslide from the slope would most likely stop on the glacier and not reach the lagoon in front of its terminus, meaning it would not threaten homes.

The cause of the renewed movement is unclear. One possible explanation is increased water pressure inside the mountain. Rainfall in Skaftafell has been above average since August, and the retreat of the glacier may also help explain the movement.