In the South Atlantic Ocean 275 kilometer from Ushuaia, Argentina, a shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred in the morning of Saturday May 24th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Atlantic Ocean, 254 kilometers (158 mi) off the coast of Argentina, 275 kilometer south-southeast of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 24, 2025 08:17 (Ushuaia Time) - May 24, 2025 11:17 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 275 km SSE of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Coordinates 57°13'8"S 67°17'25"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 76 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.065 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Argentina . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Ushuaia is located 275 kilometer (171 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 275 km (171 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. |
3 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 59 km (37 mi) west-northwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 3 days later. It measured a magnitude of 3.3
In the days before this main shock, 4 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 5 mins earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
3 days earlier May 21, 2025 10:38 (Ushuaia Time) | 26 km (16 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
3 days earlier May 21, 2025 15:59 (Ushuaia Time) | 21 km (13 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.0 |
6 hrs earlier May 24, 2025 02:32 (Ushuaia Time) | 84 km (52 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.0 |
5 mins earlier May 24, 2025 08:12 (Ushuaia Time) | 6 km (4 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 24, 2025 08:17 (Ushuaia Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 days later May 26, 2025 12:43 (Ushuaia Time) | 84 km (52 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
3 days later May 27, 2025 01:38 (Ushuaia Time) | 59 km (37 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
3 days later May 27, 2025 04:17 (Ushuaia Time) | 17 km (11 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 21st, 2025, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 29 km (18 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on May 2nd, 2025.
In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 6 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/06/25 14:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000q19u
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250524_0000110
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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