M4.4 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — August 31, 2026
2026-08-31 21:46:03 UTC (56 min ago) · approx. 7:46 PM UTC-2 local
On August 31, 2026 at 21:46 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 intermediate depth earthquake struck in the South Sandwich Islands region, at a depth of 148.3 km and coordinates -56.0847°, -28.0768°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-28.0768°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck in the South Sandwich Islands region on August 31, 2026 at 21:46 UTC had a depth of 148.3 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000td7p). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 31, 2026). M4.4 Earthquake in the South Sandwich Islands region — August 31, 2026. Retrieved August 31, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000td7p/