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M5.0 Depth: 40.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

UTC time: 2026-01-02 00:20:55 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION on January 2, 2026 at 00:20 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 40 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
M5.0
Depth
40.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-02 00:20:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-57.26550, -25.26810
Temperature
-0.3°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 40 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 40 km
Shallow
40 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
Grytviken776.2 kmW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 87 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 94 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 147 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Zavodovski
    Distance: 177 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 551 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Leskov Island
    Distance: 187 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 190 m ·United Kingdom

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM6.5
M5.32026-01-02 00:21:01 UTC25.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Mar del Plata (Monde) M5.22026-01-04 10:35:50 UTC144.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC64.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.52026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC81.8 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.02026-01-31 06:21:39 UTC89.6 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#52
Earlier events M≥485
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 UTC125.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.12025-01-01 13:48:24 UTC129.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC129.2 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M5.92025-08-31 16:24:28 UTC129.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72025-11-05 22:03:49 UTC87.2 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
629
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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