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M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region

UTC time: 2026-09-08 06:50:46 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
128.6 km
Source
USGS

South Sandwich Islands region

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2026-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2026-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands region on September 8, 2026 at 06:50 UTC. At around 129 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
261359cf29abba0f0e6f6dd6e742f12caab7d67c
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
128.6 km
UTC time
2026-09-08 06:50:46 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-58.12130, -26.25780
Temperature
-12.7°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 128.6 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 128.6 km
Intermediate
128.6 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the Sandwich Plate.
Near the boundary Sandwich ↔ South America · about 139 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Grytviken763.2 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 37 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 38 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 101 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 118 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 157 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 166 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.3.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.310.0 km29.1 km
RESIFM5.110.0 km58.6 km
EMSCM5.379.0 km25.9 km
USGSM5.1128.6 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#73
Earlier events M≥4162
Earlier events M≥5112
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.52026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC46.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC53.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC50.8 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M5.92025-08-31 16:24:28 UTC50.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.82026-02-16 14:52:52 UTC39.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
606
Country (24h)
—
—
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