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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2026-01-17 18:00:17 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 17, 2026 at 18:00 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near South Sandwich Islands Region. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-17 18:00:17 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-55.76000, -28.54000
Temperature
3.0°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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
Grytviken533.6 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 29 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 103 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 135 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 186 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 259 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#9
Earlier events M≥4109
Earlier events M≥570
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-01-01 13:48:25 UTC136.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC134.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M6.02025-03-14 23:42:31 UTC101.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-03-27 00:41:25 UTC84.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-09-13 04:32:03 UTC50.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
532
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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