M5.3 Earthquake in the Balleny Islands region — August 15, 2026
2026-08-15 00:40:13 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 11:40 AM UTC+11 local
On August 15, 2026 at 00:40 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Balleny Islands region, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -62.9125°, 165.8900°. This earthquake was detected by 19 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
165.8900°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake in the Balleny Islands region?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck in the Balleny Islands region on August 15, 2026 at 00:40 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -62.9125°, 165.8900°, which is in the Balleny Islands region.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tkvi). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 15, 2026). M5.3 Earthquake in the Balleny Islands region — August 15, 2026. Retrieved August 15, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tkvi/