Earthquake.now

M6.8 Earthquake near Beauséjour, Guadeloupe — 27 October 2025

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 was recorded near Beauséjour, Guadeloupe on , with an epicentre 170 km east of Beauséjour, at a focal depth of 0.1 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 1 earthquakes recorded in Guadeloupe in the preceding 30 days.

6.8 Strong

Time (UTC): 2025-10-27 12:38:37

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 6.8 (strong)

Focal depth: 0.1 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 16.5350, -59.4940

Location: 170 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe

Country: Guadeloupe

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239,006 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 711, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 08:40 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was shallower than 100% of the 29 earthquakes recorded in Guadeloupe in our catalogue and stronger than 97% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 16.5350, -59.4940 — 170 km east of Beauséjour. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 6 km west-northwest of here on 27 October 2025.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Grand-Bourg (170 km west-southwest), Sainte-Marie (197 km southwest), Anse-Bertrand (207 km west) and Codrington (209 km west-northwest).

Why the 0 km depth matters

At 0 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

14 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.5.

33 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.5 event near Beauséjour on 27 October 2025. This M6.8 event released about 2.8 times more energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the October 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Guadeloupe during October 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Guadeloupe

All recorded earthquakes in Guadeloupe →

Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 6 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Beauséjour?

It measured magnitude 6.8 — a strong earthquake. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239,006 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Beauséjour?

The focus was 0 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Beauséjour earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 6.8 and a focal depth of 0 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Beauséjour happen?

27 October 2025 at 12:38 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

14 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 6.5.

How often do earthquakes happen near Beauséjour?

33 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.5 event near Beauséjour on 27 October 2025. This M6.8 event released about 2.8 times more energy than that event.