What the record shows for South Sandwich Islands
The strongest earthquake on record near South Sandwich Islands is a magnitude 8.1 in 2021, centred 2021 South Sandwich Islands Earthquake - 5 years ago. The event is catalogued by USGS. See the event record.
Over the last 20 years, USGS has catalogued 7,049 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or greater within 1000 km of South Sandwich Islands - roughly 353 a year. That rate describes how often the ground moves enough to be recorded, not how often damage occurs; most of these are never felt.
The NOAA NCEI database records 2 tsunamis within 1000 km of South Sandwich Islands between 2016 and 2021. The most significant was in 2021 near Southern Atlantic Ocean, triggered by an M8.1 earthquake.
9 volcanoes are catalogued near South Sandwich Islands, including Candlemas Island, Hodson, Saunders, Zavodovski, Leskov Island, Protector Seamounts and 3 more. Volcanic systems generate their own earthquake swarms, which is why activity here can look different from a purely tectonic region.
Sources: USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database, and the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. Figures update as the catalogs are revised.
Popular
The South Sandwich Trench in the far South Atlantic is remote but extremely active, with frequent large quakes far from any population.
The only real protection is a warning the moment the ground moves - which is exactly what the free QuakeMate app gives you, along with tsunami and volcano alerts for South Sandwich Islands.
Earthquake risk in South Sandwich Islands - FAQ
Is South Sandwich Islands at risk of earthquakes?
Yes. On average about 353 quakes a year nearby of magnitude 4+ within 1000 km, based on the last 20 years of USGS data. The strongest earthquake on record nearby is M8.1 in 2021.
What was the biggest earthquake in South Sandwich Islands?
The strongest earthquake on record near South Sandwich Islands is M8.1, in 2021 (2021 South Sandwich Islands Earthquake), from USGS.
Does South Sandwich Islands get tsunamis?
Yes - 2 tsunamis since 2016 (most recently 2021) within 1000 km, from the NOAA database.
How do I get earthquake warnings in South Sandwich Islands?
Download the free QuakeMate app for iPhone. It watches your location and sends a real-time push the instant a quake strikes nearby, plus tsunami and volcano alerts, with custom magnitude and distance rules. On Android, join the waitlist.