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M5.6 Depth: 77.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2026-02-16 14:53:01 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.6 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands Region on February 16, 2026 at 14:53 UTC. At around 77 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
77.0 km
UTC time
2026-02-16 14:53:01 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-58.00000, -25.54000
Temperature
1.6°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 77 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 77 km
Intermediate
77 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
Grytviken794.1 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Saunders
    Distance: 60 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 70 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 123 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 174 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 835 m ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 188 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#9
Earlier events M≥4102
Earlier events M≥569
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.02026-01-29 07:30:39 UTC18.4 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SE (az= 143.3) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC20.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC46.2 km M5.72026-02-16 14:52:58 UTC12.2 km M5.72025-12-17 17:06:01 UTC88.3 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
656
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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