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M5.3 Earthquake near 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

UTC time: 2026-09-17 06:42:42 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna on September 17, 2026 at 06:42 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
0c3fee73c822faf4717f67660ec29e32dc9ac77c
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-17 06:42:42 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-14.47920, -174.89570
Temperature
25.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the Niuafoʻou Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ Niuafoʻou · about 14 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mata-Utu188.4 kmNW1'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 122 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 138 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Dugong
    Distance: 138 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'170 m ·Tonga
  • West Mata
    Distance: 141 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Niuafo'ou
    Distance: 147 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga
  • Lobster
    Distance: 177 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'500 m ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.3.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.310.0 km36.1 km
USGSM5.310.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.318.0 km8.5 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#18
Earlier events M≥443
Earlier events M≥523
Compared since2025-01-26

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.62025-07-24 23:37:57 UTC94.6 kmSAMOA ISLANDS REGION M6.62025-07-24 23:37:57 UTC87.7 km176 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:56 UTC87.8 km176 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:55 UTC91.8 km167 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:55 UTC91.6 km165 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
537
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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