Magnitude
M5.4
- Depth
- 159.0 km
- Source
- USGS
South Sandwich Islands · South Sandwich Islands
Country overviewSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands · South Sandwich Islands
M5.4 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands (South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands)
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded
Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.
Map
About this earthquake
On August 21, 2026 at 13:06 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near South Sandwich Islands (South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands). At around 159 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.
The event was recorded by USGS.
Details
ID
3fa1ba24db39aea484b42e064752078e1987a396
Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
159.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-21 13:06:41 UTC
Local time
—
State
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-58.85090,
-26.55710
Temperature
-12.8°C
Depth profile
Intermediate
159 km
159 km — deeper than the regional average (110.6 km)
Regional average: 110.6 km
Why depth matters
Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.
Depth classes per USGS
Estimated impact
Green
No or minimal impact expected.
Ground shaking
III
Weak · Intensity (MMI) III
Felt by a few, no damage.
Tectonic context
Located on the Sandwich Plate.
Near the boundary Sandwich ↔ South America · about 134 km away
Nearby population centers
Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.
PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Grytviken792.3 kmNW2
GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Volcanoes nearby
Subsequent earthquakes nearby
Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.
First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
Comparison of seismic sources
5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.6.
Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.
SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.6100.0 km17.1 km
USPM5.1120.0 km12.7 km
GFZM5.6126.0 km23.4 km
RESIFM5.4128.8 km23.4 km
USGSM5.4159.0 km0.0 km
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
Context for this earthquake
05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 8 Catalogue entries
Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.
Open seismic profileHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#29
Earlier events M≥4153
Earlier events M≥5109
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 UTC113.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region
M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC128.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region
M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC74.0 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
M5.92025-08-31 16:24:28 UTC74.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region
M5.82026-02-16 14:52:52 UTC97.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region
Historic earthquake map · South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.
Country statistics · South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
619
Country (24h)
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands
0
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