Strong earthquake · August 12, 2026

M 6.0 Earthquake, South Sandwich Islands region

A magnitude 6.0 (mww) earthquake struck South Sandwich Islands region on August 12, 2026 at 11:47 UTC, at a depth of about 10 km (6 mi), according to the USGS. The USGS PAGER alert level is green.

Updated Oct 12, 2026, 5:12 AM EDT (USGS snapshot)

M 6.0 mww PAGER Green Reviewed by a seismologist

This is not an early-warning system. For tsunami warnings see tsunami.gov; for emergencies follow local authorities.

Event details
Magnitude	6.0 mww (Strong)
Time (UTC)	Aug 12, 2026, 11:47:12 UTC
U.S. Eastern Time	Aug 12, 2026, 7:47 AM EDT
Location	South Sandwich Islands region
Coordinates	60.239° S, 29.019° W
Depth	10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Felt reports	None reported · max reported intensity 1
ShakeMap intensity	MMI 3.4 (estimated maximum)
Tsunami flag	No
PAGER alert	Green
USGS event ID	us6000tk74

Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, event us6000tk74. Last updated by the USGS Oct 12, 2026, 09:12:01 UTC.

USGS event page View on OpenStreetMap

What the numbers mean

Tsunami flag: The USGS sets this flag for large events in oceanic regions. It does not mean a tsunami happened or will happen. Official tsunami warnings come from the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers at tsunami.gov.
PAGER alert: An automatic USGS estimate of likely fatalities and economic losses: green (little or none), yellow, orange, or red (highest). It can change as more data arrives.
Felt reports: People who felt shaking can describe it through the USGS "Did You Feel It?" survey on the event page. The count grows for hours or days after an event.
Local time: The local time at the epicenter is not shown because the area spans more than one time zone or is offshore.

Other recent earthquakes within 300 km

Nearby events from the past 30 days (M 4.5+), past 7 days (M 2.5+), and past year (M 6+)
Magnitude	Location	Time	Depth
M 4.8	South Sandwich Islands region	Oct 26, 2026, 7:01 AM EDT 0 sec ago	173.5 km
M 4.5	South Sandwich Islands region	Oct 12, 2026, 10:16 PM EDT 0 sec ago	139.6 km
M 4.9	South Sandwich Islands region	Sep 29, 2026, 11:17 AM EDT 13 days ago	101.8 km

After an earthquake

Expect aftershocks. If you are near the coast and feel strong or long shaking, move to high ground right away without waiting for an official warning. Check on neighbors and follow instructions from local emergency officials.

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