Back to map

M6.7 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-20 00:22:03 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M6.7
Depth
10.0 km
Source
GFZ

South Shetland Islands

Map

M6.7 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands · 2026-03-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.7 Earthquake near South Shetland Islands · 2026-03-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On March 20, 2026 at 00:22 UTC, a magnitude M6.7 earthquake occurred near South Shetland Islands. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

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

Details

ID
6a60f8cce958e52d3a8a96ddfca3cbd5cedd8984
Magnitude
M6.7
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-20 00:22:03 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-61.27000, -56.44000
Temperature
2.7°C

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
Ushuaia999.3 kmNW56'825

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bridgeman Island
    Distance: 89 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 240 m ·Antarctica
  • Melville
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 549 m ·Antarctica
  • Penguin Island
    Distance: 121 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 180 m ·Last eruption: 1905 ·Antarctica
  • Paulet
    Distance: 259 km ·Pyroclastic cone ·Elevation: 353 m ·Antarctica
  • Deception Island
    Distance: 288 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 602 m ·Last eruption: 1970 ·Antarctica
  • Mount Haddington Volcanic Field
    Distance: 327 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Antarctica

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours3
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM6.2
M6.22026-03-20 00:22:04 UTC24.0 km M5.02026-03-20 01:15:54 UTC43.0 kmSouth Shetland Islands M5.12026-03-20 01:15:55 UTC18.9 kmSouth Shetland Islands M5.12026-04-09 21:59:15 UTC232.1 kmSouth Shetland Islands M5.22026-04-09 21:59:20 UTC33.4 kmSOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS M5.32026-04-09 21:59:21 UTC24.5 kmSouth Shetland Islands

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M6.6 to M6.7.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
NNSNM6.64.9 km15.9 km
GFZM6.710.0 km0.0 km
USPM6.627.0 km29.8 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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥46
Earlier events M≥53
Compared since2025-02-14

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.62026-03-20 00:22:02 UTC16.0 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SSE (az= 154.7) from Estacion Coahuila, B.C., MX M5.02025-09-03 07:34:25 UTC247.0 kmDrake Passage M5.02025-04-15 23:06:40 UTC185.7 kmScotia Sea M4.92025-04-15 23:06:40 UTC186.6 kmScotia Sea M4.82025-03-13 08:45:23 UTC10.3 kmSouth Shetland Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
512
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share