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M5.1 Depth: 34.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2026-01-31 06:21:31 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 31, 2026 at 06:21 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near South Sandwich Islands Region. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 34 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
34.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-31 06:21:31 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usp
Coordinates
-58.68171, -25.54814

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 34 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 34 km
Shallow
34 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
Grytviken830.5 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 55 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 68 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 112 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 128 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 190 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 239 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·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 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.8
M5.02026-01-31 06:21:39 UTC69.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.92026-02-01 19:22:18 UTC78.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.22026-02-16 14:52:52 UTC46.0 km M5.82026-02-16 14:52:52 UTC60.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72026-02-16 14:52:58 UTC83.5 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#57
Earlier events M≥4128
Earlier events M≥588
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 UTC77.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC95.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC29.8 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M5.92025-08-31 16:24:28 UTC29.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-12-17 17:06:01 UTC15.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
618
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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