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M5.6 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near South Sandwich Islands Region

UTC time: 2025-12-17 17:05:56 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.6 earthquake was recorded near South Sandwich Islands Region on December 17, 2025 at 17:05 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-17 17:05:56 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-58.72000, -25.26000
Temperature
0.2°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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
Grytviken846.9 kmNW2

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Montagu Island
    Distance: 71 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'370 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·United Kingdom
  • Bristol Island
    Distance: 80 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'100 m ·Last eruption: 2016 ·United Kingdom
  • Saunders
    Distance: 125 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 843 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·United Kingdom
  • Southern Thule
    Distance: 138 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'075 m ·Last eruption: 1975 ·United Kingdom
  • Candlemas Island
    Distance: 200 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 550 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·United Kingdom
  • Hodson
    Distance: 251 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 hours3
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M5.72025-12-17 17:05:57 UTC5.0 km M5.72025-12-17 17:06:01 UTC10.4 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.32025-12-17 17:06:07 UTC10.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Mar del Plata (Monde) M4.92025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC110.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands region M5.12025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC103.0 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.52025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC149.1 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Mar del Plata (Monde) M4.92025-12-23 12:16:26 UTC119.9 km M5.22025-12-28 04:36:17 UTC117.1 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.12025-12-28 04:36:20 UTC142.8 km M5.22026-01-04 10:35:50 UTC34.2 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.12026-01-04 10:35:54 UTC1.8 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥486
Earlier events M≥559
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.92025-08-31 16:24:29 UTC39.0 km M5.72025-12-08 18:41:11 UTC27.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.72025-11-05 22:03:49 UTC74.7 km M5.62025-11-05 22:03:46 UTC82.5 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region M5.62025-08-31 16:24:21 UTC50.7 kmSouth Sandwich Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
658
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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