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M5.3 Depth: 117.9 km

M5.3 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands region

UTC time: 2025-03-20 12:04:21 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands region on March 20, 2025 at 12:04 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 118 km. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
117.9 km
UTC time
2025-03-20 12:04:21 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-56.25130, -27.00280

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 117.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 117.9 km
Intermediate
117.9 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Grytviken640.2 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 35 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 52 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 81 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 83 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 94 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M4.72025-03-26 09:09:21 UTC128.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-03-27 00:41:25 UTC27.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.92025-03-30 07:42:55 UTC9.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.52025-03-30 21:39:47 UTC11.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.52025-04-05 11:29:12 UTC140.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-04-05 11:32:09 UTC143.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.42025-04-06 13:28:58 UTC146.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.02025-04-12 12:37:51 UTC52.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥427
Earlier events M≥54
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC25.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.92025-03-14 23:42:32 UTC48.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.32025-02-20 12:39:10 UTC73.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.32025-02-12 19:54:09 UTC14.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.82025-02-27 06:45:10 UTC18.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
656
Country (24h)
—
—
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