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M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region

UTC time: 2025-03-18 22:52:34 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
36.8 km
Source
USGS

South Sandwich Islands region

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2025-03-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2025-03-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On March 18, 2025 at 22:52 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near South Sandwich Islands region. With a focal depth of about 37 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
204ba3d167490eaf235744e0805987641d68293b
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
36.8 km
UTC time
2025-03-18 22:52:34 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-55.37800, -28.90520

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 36.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 36.8 km
Shallow
36.8 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Grytviken501.8 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 75 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 150 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 183 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 234 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 307 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M4.42025-03-19 03:14:03 UTC42.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.22025-03-20 12:04:20 UTC146.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.72025-03-21 19:36:41 UTC3.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-03-27 00:41:25 UTC129.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.42025-03-30 07:43:15 UTC40.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.52025-03-30 21:39:47 UTC145.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.02025-04-12 12:37:51 UTC101.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.6.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USPM5.310.0 km14.8 km
USGSM5.636.8 km0.0 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥417
Earlier events M≥52
Compared since2025-01-01

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.02025-03-14 23:42:31 UTC135.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.12025-01-15 12:06:36 UTC48.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.82025-02-27 06:45:10 UTC139.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.82025-02-06 12:28:26 UTC54.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.72025-03-17 12:26:03 UTC140.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
613
Country (24h)
—
—
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