The emergence and growth of Surtsey during volcanic activity in 1963–1967, from an oceanic depth of 130 m off the south coast of Iceland, remains one of the best-documented island-forming eruptions to date. By extracting information from seismic bulletins and analyzing archived analog seismic data, principally from SID, the most sensitive station in the seismic network existing at the time (131 km from Surtsey), we address key questions on precursors, timing of eruption onset, and duration of the submarine phase. We estimate the magnitude of completeness for earthquakes at Surtsey to have been M_L = 2.5. Several seismic events of magnitude M_L < 3 in November 3–10, 1963, with epicentral distance fitting with Surtsey are considered to be precursory earthquakes. Continuous tremor of dominant frequency 1–2 Hz, starting in the early afternoon of November 12, is considered to mark the onset of the submarine eruption, about 40 h before the start of subaerial eruption at 06:30 on November 14. The number of earthquakes larger than the threshold magnitude of 2.5 detected in 1963–1966 was 123, with the largest being of magnitude 4.5. Six earthquakes ranging in magnitude between 3.7 and 4.5 were felt in Heimaey, 22 km to the NE of Surtsey. Changes in vent location occurred five times in 1964–1966. Significant earthquake activity after the eruption start occurred in swarms considerably stronger than observed at the start. These swarms preceded vent migration and lasted days to weeks, apparently caused by intrusive activity prior to eruption at the new vents.

在 1963 年至 1967 年的火山活动期间，从冰岛南海岸 130 米的海洋深处出现和增长的苏尔特西岛，仍然是迄今为止记录最充分的岛屿形成喷发之一。通过从地震公报中提取信息并分析存档的模拟地震数据，主要来自当时存在的地震网络中最敏感的台站 SID（距苏尔特西 131 公里），我们解决了关于前兆、爆发时间和持续时间的关键问题潜艇阶段。我们估计 Surtsey 地震的完整性等级为 M _L  = 2.5。数次 M _L级地震事件 < 3 在 1963 年 11 月 3-10 日，震中距离与 Surtsey 拟合被认为是前兆地震。11 月 12 日下午早些时候开始的主频 1-2 Hz 的连续震颤被认为标志着海底喷发的开始，大约在 11 月 14 日 06:30 海底喷发开始前 40 小时。 1963 年至 1966 年检测到的大于 2.5 级阈值的地震为 123 次，最大的为 4.5 级。在距苏尔特西东北部 22 公里的海迈有 6 次震级在 3.7 到 4.5 之间的地震。1964 年至 1966 年期间，喷口位置发生了五次变化。喷发开始后的显着地震活动发生在比开始时观察到的强得多的群中。这些蜂群先于喷口迁移并持续了数天到数周，