Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes island off the coast of Australia

An earthquake has struck Macquarie Island to the south of Australia.

The United States Geological Survey reported the ‘strong’ magnitude 5.7 quake hit the island in the Southern Ocean just before 5pm.

Macquarie Island is home to an Australian sub-Antarctic research station and one of the largest penguin colonies in the world. 

However, it is also located on a major fault line and has experienced 21 earthquakes over the last year, the largest being a magnitude 6.9 in mid-2025. 

Dr Ben Galton-Fenzi, an Australian Antarctic Division Ice Sheet and Sea Level Section Coordinator, said quakes in the area were ‘particularly active’.

‘The two (tectonic) plates on either side of Macquarie Island are sliding against each other,’ he said.

‘When we have seismic activity, especially offshore, we can expect that there is a risk of tsunamis occurring.

‘Earthquakes can trigger tsunami’s through violent movement in the seafloor or by triggering huge undersea landslides.’

There is currently no tsunami threat warning connected to Monday’s earthquake.