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M5.3 Depth: 60.0 km

M5.3 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2025-05-21 19:36:15 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands Region on May 21, 2025 at 19:36 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 60 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
60.0 km
UTC time
2025-05-21 19:36:15 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-56.89000, -26.05000
Temperature
-2.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 60 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 60 km
Shallow
60 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
Grytviken717.5 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 43 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 71 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 130 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 170 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M5.32025-05-22 00:25:40 UTC118.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.22025-05-22 00:25:43 UTC111.8 km M5.22025-05-25 20:05:55 UTC116.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.92025-05-25 20:06:00 UTC33.4 km M5.02025-05-29 04:56:20 UTC137.6 km M5.32025-05-31 06:17:06 UTC145.8 km M4.82025-06-07 16:17:30 UTC147.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.32025-06-15 03:18:26 UTC116.3 km M5.32025-06-15 03:18:27 UTC126.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.02025-06-17 20:06:12 UTC122.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.02025-06-17 20:06:12 UTC116.5 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#6
Earlier events M≥436
Earlier events M≥512
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 UTC66.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.92025-03-14 23:42:32 UTC134.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-03-27 00:41:25 UTC114.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-04-05 11:32:09 UTC51.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.52025-04-05 11:29:12 UTC49.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
656
Country (24h)
—
—
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