M6.0 earthquake — South Sandwich Islands region
A strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred South Sandwich Islands region on Aug 12, 2026 at 11:47 UTC. The epicenter was at a depth of 10 km — a shallow earthquake. Shallow quakes concentrate their energy near the surface, so they tend to produce stronger shaking close to the epicenter.
Event data
| Magnitude | M6.0 |
|---|---|
| Depth | 10.0 km |
| Coordinates | -60.245, -28.990 |
| Time | Aug 12, 11:47 UTC |
| Location | South Sandwich Islands region |
| USGS event ID | us6000tk74 |
What this magnitude typically means
A magnitude in this range can cause significant damage near the epicenter, especially to vulnerable buildings. How strongly any given place shakes still depends on distance, depth, and ground conditions. Tremor does not compute a single local shaking figure here, because how strong a quake feels at any address depends on distance, depth and local geology — open the interactive globe to explore the ShakeMap and estimated intensity.
Source: USGS earthquake catalog. Automated readings may be revised. Not for emergency use.