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M5.8 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2026-05-20 23:01:00 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.8
Depth
120.0 km
Source
GFZ

South Sandwich Islands Region

Map

M5.8 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region · 2026-05-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.8 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region · 2026-05-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.8 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands Region on May 20, 2026 at 23:01 UTC. At around 120 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

ID
9b0cf1cf4816f561c9c88f8c99a79c97a04bb455
Magnitude
M5.8
Depth
120.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-20 23:01:00 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-56.11000, -27.97000
Temperature
-1.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 120 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 120 km
Intermediate
120 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
Grytviken578.4 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Protector Seamounts
    Distance: 25 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: -55 m ·Last eruption: 1962 ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 33 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 62 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 83 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 134 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 208 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 hours4
First 72 hours4
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2
M4.72026-05-21 08:37:02 UTC28.7 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M5.02026-05-21 08:37:03 UTC31.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.72026-05-21 08:37:05 UTC18.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.72026-05-21 08:37:05 UTC18.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.82026-05-28 15:07:48 UTC94.1 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M4.72026-06-15 22:38:35 UTC119.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.02026-06-16 13:36:52 UTC38.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands M5.02026-06-16 13:36:52 UTC37.5 kmTierra del Fuego M4.92026-06-16 17:13:06 UTC126.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.02026-06-16 17:13:08 UTC121.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M4.82026-06-16 17:13:10 UTC105.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M4.92026-06-17 19:48:25 UTC127.8 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

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 overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#5
Earlier events M≥4147
Earlier events M≥593
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 UTC85.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC84.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M6.02025-03-14 23:42:31 UTC70.9 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-05-20 23:00:49 UTC45.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands M5.72026-05-20 23:00:58 UTC5.0 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
613
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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