The general assumption is that there is little to no seismic activity in Norway and Scandinavia, as opposed to high-risk regions such as California, Japan, or Greece. That is not correct. The map above shows the earthquakes detected by NORSAR in the past 20 years in Scandinavia. As the map illustrates, the seismic activity is high.

The upper left of the map details an arc of earthquakes. These earthquakes originate from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The activity indicates that the American and Eurasian continents are still drifting apart. The South-West coast of Norway is also quite active, especially around the area of Bergen, one of Norway’s biggest cities. The map also shows a persistent cluster of earthquakes in the Bodø and Glomfjord area, indicating tectonic activity.

NORSAR’s extensive seismic monitoring network does not only detect earthquakes, as illustrated by the map. For example, the seismicity detected in Northern Sweden is related to mining activities in the Kiruna Mine. The NORSAR network of seismometers will detect even small explosions from quarries, or landslides like the Veslemannen.