Shallow M6.0 earthquake off Bouvet Island, South Atlantic Ocean

A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit off the coast of Bouvet Island, South Atlantic Ocean at 08:32 UTC on October 23, 2017. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles).

According to the USGS, the epicenter was located 1 997 (1 241 miles) S of Bredasdorp, 2 002 km (1 244 miles) S of Hermanus, and 2 030 km (1 261 miles) S of Grabouw, South Africa.

There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).

There is no threat of a tsunami from this earthquake.

Image credit: USGS

This is the second strong and shallow earthquake to hit this region since M6.7 at 18:53 UTC on October 10, 2017.

Bouvet Island is an uninhabited volcanic subantarctic island and dependency of Norway located in the South Atlantic Ocean, outside of the Antarctic Treaty System.

It lies at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is the most remote island in the world, approximately 2 600 km (1 600 miles) south-southwest of the coast of South Africa and approximately 1 700 km (1 100 miles) north of the Princess Astrid Coast of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica.

Featured image credit: USGS