Magnitude
M5.1
- Depth
- 10.0 km
- Source
- USGS
south of Africa
M5.1 Earthquake near south of Africa
Map
About this earthquake
A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near south of Africa on October 21, 2026 at 18:12 UTC. 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 USGS.
Details
ID
6d7bd6a77432ce4b0c173fecf2fb78c83174704a
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-21 18:12:35 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-52.83380,
27.53290
Temperature
-0.9°C
Depth profile
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
Tectonic context
Located on the Antarctica Plate.
Near the boundary Antarctica ↔ Africa · about 5 km away
Comparison of seismic sources
2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.1.
Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.
SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.110.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.110.0 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 overviewHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥43
Earlier events M≥51
Compared since2025-02-27
The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.
Strongest earlier events
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
563
Country (24h)
—
—
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