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M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region

UTC time: 2026-10-19 17:45:50 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
101.5 km
Source
USGS

South Sandwich Islands region

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2026-10-19 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region · 2026-10-19 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands region on October 19, 2026 at 17:45 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 101 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

ID
66181705adfa1fdd6716ab29c5ad10d257484546
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
101.5 km
UTC time
2026-10-19 17:45:50 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-56.35420, -27.08510
Temperature
-2.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 101.5 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 101.5 km
Intermediate
101.5 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 101 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Grytviken662.5 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 30 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 40 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 73 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 83 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 165 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.249.0 km32.5 km
USPM5.078.0 km20.1 km
GFZM5.296.0 km29.3 km
ISCM5.1101.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.1101.5 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#51
Earlier events M≥4189
Earlier events M≥5114
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22026-09-02 23:46:58 UTC80.0 kmTierra del Fuego M6.22025-01-01 13:48:25 UTC29.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC21.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M6.02025-03-14 23:42:31 UTC44.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-05-20 23:00:49 UTC49.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
594
Country (24h)
—
—
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