A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands region at 11:47 UTC on 12 August 2026, according to the US Geological Survey event record. The preliminary location was in the remote South Atlantic, near 60.24°S and 28.99°W, at a depth of about 10 kilometres. The South Sandwich Islands are largely uninhabited, and the event occurred far from major population centres.

Independent monitoring agencies recorded a very similar event, though their measurements varied slightly: Germany’s GEOFON reported magnitude 5.9 mb and a 10-kilometre depth, while its moment-tensor solution gave magnitude 6.1 and a depth of 13 kilometres. GDACS assessed the earthquake as having low likely humanitarian impact, citing no exposed population in its model. The available official information did not indicate a significant impact on populated areas.