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M5.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 23, 2025 at 12:16 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 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. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-58.39000, -23.60000
Temperature
0.6°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
Grytviken915.4 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 162 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 182 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 183 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 233 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 239 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 283 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#33
Earlier events M≥470
Earlier events M≥550
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 UTC116.1 km M5.72025-12-17 17:06:01 UTC112.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-12-17 17:05:57 UTC100.8 km M5.72025-12-08 18:41:11 UTC75.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-11-05 22:03:49 UTC101.1 km

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
658
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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