Shallow M6.1 earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit west of Macquarie Island at 16:33 UTC on May 23, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Epicenter of M6.1 earthquake west of Macquarie Island on May 23, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 1 480 km (920 miles) south of Geeveston, Australia.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Macquarie Island is a remote sub-Antarctic landmass administered by Australia, with no permanent population and only a research station present.
The island is situated along the complex boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates and is known for frequent seismic activity due to the transform fault system in the region.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.1 earthquake west of Macquarie Island – USGS – May 23, 2025
2 M6.1 earthquake west of Macquarie Island – EMSC – May 23, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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