M5.9 Earthquake: Bouvet Island region

Updated 09:05 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Bouvet Island region at 15:24 UTC on 24 Oct 2026, at a depth of 10 km, reported by USGS. USGS PAGER issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths. USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake. No M2.5+ aftershock had been listed within 50 km when this page was updated.

M5.9

Magnitude (USGS)

mwb

10 km

Depth

shallow

GREEN

USGS PAGER impact alert

estimated impact

Aftershocks M2.5+ so far

within 50 km

[ fig. 1 ] M5.9 EPICENTRE, AFTERSHOCKS AND PAST QUAKESThis quakeAftershock M5+AftershockPast M6+

USGS · updated 09:05 UTC 2026-10-29Tap a point for details · pinch or ctrl + scroll to zoomTrack this live in the app ›

Nearest places

Simon's Town, Western Cape, South Africa2,378 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 6,5692,378 KM
Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa2,379 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 25,1532,379 KM
Bredasdorp, Western Cape, South Africa2,393 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 14,9362,393 KM
Retreat, Western Cape, South Africa2,394 km from the epicentre · quake was SSW of here · population 25,7452,394 KM
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena2,399 km from the epicentre · quake was SE of here · population 2712,399 KM

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Strongest aftershocks so far

No M2.5+ aftershock listed yet.

Key context

Tectonic setting

Indian Ocean ridges. This quake was on the mid-ocean ridge system of the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, a plate boundary where the sea floor spreads apart. These quakes are shallow, far from land and almost never damaging.

The USGS moment tensor shows normal faulting: the crust was pulled apart and one block dropped down, typical of stretching crust or of bending in a sinking slab.

At 10 km it was a very shallow quake: shallow quakes shake the ground above them hardest, so local damage depends on how close towns are.

Shaking and impact

USGS PAGER estimates the impact from the shaking and the number of people exposed. For this quake it issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths (fatality alert: green, economic loss alert: green). PAGER is an early estimate and can change as reports come in.

USGS had no "Did You Feel It?" reports for this quake when this page was updated; remote and offshore quakes often get none.

Aftershocks

This page counts quakes of M2.5 or more within 50 km after the main shock, from the USGS catalog (last checked 09:05 UTC, 29 Oct 2026): 0 aftershocks so far.

Aftershocks are normal after a quake of this size. They usually become less frequent over days and weeks, but a strong aftershock can still happen, and in a few sequences a later quake is larger. No one can predict their exact time or size; follow the official agency for your area.

Earthquake history within 250 km

Since 1976, USGS lists 67 quakes of M5 or more within 250 km of this epicentre, about 1.3 a year. Since 1900 the same circle had 16 quakes of M5.9 or larger.

Largest earlier quakes within 250 km, USGS catalog since 1900 (M6+).
Magnitude	Place (USGS)	Date	Depth
M6.8	Bouvet Island region	2014-04-15	11 km
M6.7	Bouvet Island region	2017-10-10	9 km
M6.6	southwest of Africa	2018-01-28	10 km
M6.4	Bouvet Island region	1996-06-22	10 km
M6.4	Bouvet Island region	1975-03-30	19 km
M6.2	Bouvet Island region	1927-11-14	10 km
M6.2	southwest of Africa	1938-03-01	15 km
M6.2	Bouvet Island region	2015-10-23	11 km

Official information

EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
USGS event page for this quake (ShakeMap, PAGER, felt reports)
tsunami.gov for US tsunami bulletins

Data status

USGS review status: reviewed. Magnitude type: mwb. USGS last updated this event on 28 Oct 2026 at 17:32 UTC. Magnitude, depth and location can still be revised; this page keeps the same address if they change.

Questions and answers

How strong was the earthquake Bouvet Island region?

USGS measured it at magnitude 5.9 (mwb), 10 km deep. Quakes of M5 to 5.9 are classed as moderate.

Was there a tsunami?

USGS did not set a tsunami flag for this quake. If you are on a coast and feel strong or long shaking, move to high ground anyway, and follow local officials.

Was the earthquake felt?

USGS had no felt reports when this page was updated. That is common for offshore and remote quakes. If you felt it, you can report it on the USGS event page.

Will there be more aftershocks?

Aftershocks are likely to continue for days to weeks, becoming less frequent over time. So far 0 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been listed. Most sequences do not produce a larger quake, but some do. No one can predict the time or size of the next one; follow EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre).

What should I do after a strong earthquake?

Expect aftershocks: Drop, Cover and Hold On when shaking starts again. Check for injuries and damage, stay out of damaged buildings, and use text messages instead of calls so emergency lines stay free. On a coast, move to high ground after strong shaking. Follow your local officials.

Related live pages

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Sources

USGS event page: magnitude, location, ShakeMap, PAGER and Did You Feel It? data for this event. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS ComCat (FDSN event web service): the USGS earthquake catalog, used for the 30-year counts, history and aftershocks. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS Geoserve: nearest places to the epicentre.
GeoNames: large-city coordinates, CC BY 4.0.

Page built 09:05 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.