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M5.2 Depth: 44.0 km

M5.2 Earthquake near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

UTC time: 2025-12-12 13:55:54 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.2 earthquake was recorded near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION on December 12, 2025 at 13:55 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 44 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
44.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-12 13:55:54 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-59.63580, -25.98220
Temperature
-1.0°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 44 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 44 km
Shallow
44 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
Grytviken871.0 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 73 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 76 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 134 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 206 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 287 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 333 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 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M5.12025-12-12 13:55:56 UTC11.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.92025-12-12 13:56:10 UTC82.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.22025-12-13 14:04:26 UTC76.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.02025-12-13 14:04:34 UTC82.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.32025-12-15 00:43:15 UTC97.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.22025-12-15 00:43:18 UTC103.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.12025-12-15 00:43:21 UTC93.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Mar del Plata (Monde) M5.62025-12-17 17:05:56 UTC109.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-12-17 17:05:57 UTC114.7 km M5.72025-12-17 17:06:01 UTC100.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.32025-12-17 17:06:07 UTC110.8 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Mar del Plata (Monde) M5.22025-12-28 04:36:17 UTC21.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#18
Earlier events M≥463
Earlier events M≥533
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC137.6 km M5.72025-12-08 18:41:11 UTC128.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-03-20 06:30:19 UTC113.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-07-30 09:24:37 UTC78.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-07-30 09:24:37 UTC75.3 km

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
656
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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