Back to map

M5.5 Earthquake near SAMOA ISLANDS REGION

UTC time: 2026-09-23 14:41:08 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
35.0 km
Source
EMSC

SAMOA ISLANDS REGION

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near SAMOA ISLANDS REGION · 2026-09-23 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near SAMOA ISLANDS REGION · 2026-09-23 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On September 23, 2026 at 14:41 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near SAMOA ISLANDS REGION. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 35 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
10cab86f6eac43e97b6b8976440f127f263f931b
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-23 14:41:08 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-14.71830, -175.43090
Temperature
24.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Niuafoʻou Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ Niuafoʻou · about 33 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mata-Utu178.8 kmNW1'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Dugong
    Distance: 85 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'170 m ·Tonga
  • Niuafo'ou
    Distance: 100 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga
  • Lobster
    Distance: 114 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'500 m ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 148 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 169 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • West Mata
    Distance: 186 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga

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≥453
Earlier events M≥531
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 UTC40.1 kmSAMOA ISLANDS REGION M6.62025-07-24 23:37:57 UTC32.9 km176 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:56 UTC32.9 km176 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:55 UTC38.3 km167 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna M6.62025-07-24 23:37:55 UTC38.4 km165 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
583
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share