Pin-pointing of stress concentrations in space and time

The models yields stress concentrations for today at the western (about 21.4$^\circ$W, 64$^\circ$N) and eastern end (about 18.8$^\circ$E, 64$^\circ$N) of the SISZ and some smaller spots inside the SISZ around (150 to 160, $\pm$ 10) in model coordinates, i.e. around (20$^\circ$W, 64$^\circ$N). As the stress build-up by plate motion is very low in these models, the uncertainty in time is very large in the so-called "improved model" and still large in the "short rupture model".

The high stresses at the ends of the SISZ are debatable. On one hand, there was no earthquake above M=6.5 in both areas since 1706, on the other hand, the recent seismicity in both areas is high with events M$\ge$5 (1987 in the east at Vatnafjöll and in 1998 in the west, near Hengill).