South Sandwich Islands region

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake — a major event — struck near South Sandwich Islands region on July 15, 2013, at a shallow depth of about 11 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they tend to cause the strongest shaking and the most damage. A tsunami threat was flagged for this event — large, shallow quakes beneath or near the ocean can lift the seafloor and generate destructive waves. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.