M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Event of magnitude 5.5, near Nouméa (Monde)

UTC time: 2026-08-17 00:07:12 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near Event of magnitude 5.5, near Nouméa (Monde) on August 17, 2026 at 00:07 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by RESIF.

Details

Magnitude

M5.5

Depth

10.0 km

UTC time

2026-08-17 00:07:12 UTC

Local time

—

Country

—

Source

resif

Coordinates

-17.50888, -178.19290

Temperature

25.8°C

Map

Depth profile

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 Australia Plate.

Near the boundary Niuafoʻou ↔ Australia · about 148 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Labasa286.0 kmNW27'949

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Taveuni

Distance: 202 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'241 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Fiji
Lobster

Distance: 316 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'500 m ·Tonga
Niuafo'ou

Distance: 346 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga
Dugong

Distance: 350 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'170 m ·Tonga
Home Reef

Distance: 397 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
Lateiki

Distance: 397 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1

First 24 hours1

First 72 hours2

Strongest subsequent eventM5.4

M5.02026-08-17 00:08:07 UTC56.6 kmLau M5.42026-08-19 18:45:30 UTC59.8 kmLau M5.32026-08-20 12:27:35 UTC37.5 kmLau M4.62026-08-23 05:39:21 UTC93.9 kmLau

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#14

Earlier events M≥4276

Earlier events M≥550

Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-05-15 21:14:31 UTC42.2 kmFiji Islands Region M5.72026-05-15 21:14:31 UTC41.6 km M5.62026-08-12 22:13:34 UTC46.7 kmLau M5.62025-11-08 04:15:04 UTC122.4 kmFiji region M5.62025-08-26 01:32:48 UTC54.4 kmFIJI REGION

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)

642

Country (24h)

—

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