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M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2026-02-16 14:53:01 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
M5.6
Depth
77.0 km
Source
GFZ

South Sandwich Islands Region

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region · 2026-02-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region · 2026-02-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

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

ID
bb1a5d98cab24ff7e4b1e2d7a30f4bd91cb462b5
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

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

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.6 to M5.8.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USPM5.810.0 km15.3 km
NNSNM5.727.0 km17.5 km
GFZM5.677.0 km0.0 km

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#12
Earlier events M≥4128
Earlier events M≥588
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.52026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC2.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M6.02026-01-29 07:30:34 UTC20.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC46.2 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION M5.92025-08-31 16:24:28 UTC46.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.72026-02-16 14:52:58 UTC12.2 kmSOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
612
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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