Strong M6.9 earthquake hits Macquarie Island region, Southern Ocean
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.9 hit the Macquarie Island region at 22:10 UTC on July 28, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 31 km (19.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.9 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
Epicenter of M6.2 earthquake near Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean on July 28, 2025. Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 1 436 km (892 miles) SW of Bluff, New Zealand.
Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, NWS PTWC said.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unreinforced brick masonry construction.
The earthquake was followed by a sequence of aftershocks, including an M5.4 at 22:20 UTC, an M5.1 at 22:59 UTC, and a shallow M5.4 at 00:21 UTC on July 29.
This event follows two other shallow M6.2 earthquakes recorded in the same region on July 25 and 26.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.9 earthquake Macquarie Islands – USGS – July 28, 2025
2 M6.9 earthquake Macquarie Islands – EMSC – July 28, 2025
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
