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M5.4 Depth: 33.0 km

M5.4 Earthquake near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

UTC time: 2026-01-17 18:00:21 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On January 17, 2026 at 18:00 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 33 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
33.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-17 18:00:21 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-56.00000, -28.93000
Temperature
3.1°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 33 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 33 km
Shallow
33 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
Grytviken517.9 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 48 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 88 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 91 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 134 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 183 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 249 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#15
Earlier events M≥497
Earlier events M≥559
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22025-01-01 13:48:25 UTC145.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC144.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M6.02025-03-14 23:42:31 UTC126.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-03-27 00:41:25 UTC95.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.62025-09-13 04:32:03 UTC84.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
519
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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