M5.3 Depth: 90.0 km

M5.3 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2025-12-15 00:43:15 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On December 15, 2025 at 00:43 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near South Sandwich Islands Region. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 90 km. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
90.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-15 00:43:15 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-58.87000, -25.14000
Temperature
0.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 90 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 90 km
Intermediate
90 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
Grytviken861.5 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 82 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 86 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 135 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 142 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 219 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 269 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·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 hours6
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#19
Earlier events M≥480
Earlier events M≥555
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
653
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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