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Solomon Islands · Western

M6.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands)

UTC time: 2026-10-11 14:07:23 UTC Local time: —

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M6.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands) · 2026-10-11 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands) · 2026-10-11 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 11, 2026 at 14:07 UTC, a magnitude M6.2 earthquake occurred near Western (Solomon Islands). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 53 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
68ff48cae7fc4a15574a1bdfb4a742f18ddcf3af
Magnitude
M6.2
Depth
53.5 km
UTC time
2026-10-11 14:07:23 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Solomon Islands
State
Western
City
Western
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-7.00620, 155.70210
Temperature
27.0°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 53.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 53.5 km
Shallow
53.5 km
53.5 km — close to the regional average (62.7 km)
Regional average: 62.7 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.
Estimated population exposed
IV 243'547
V 78'381

Ground shaking

V
Moderate · Intensity (MMI) V
Felt by all, slight damage possible.

Tectonic context

Located on the Pacific Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ Solomon Sea · about 60 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Arawa88.5 kmN40'266
Port Moresby985.2 kmW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Loloru
    Distance: 55 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 1'887 m ·Last eruption: -1050 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Takuan Group
    Distance: 64 km ·Compound ·Elevation: 2'210 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Bagana
    Distance: 112 km ·Lava cone ·Elevation: 1'855 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Billy Mitchell
    Distance: 115 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'544 m ·Last eruption: 1580 ·Papua New Guinea
  • Balbi
    Distance: 144 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'715 m ·Papua New Guinea
  • Simbo
    Distance: 169 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 335 m ·Last eruption: 1910 ·Solomon Islands

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Ballalae AirportSolomon Islands · BAS · AGGE
    20.4 kmStraight-line distance
  • Mono AirportSolomon Islands · MNY · AGGO
    48.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • Aropa AirportPapua New Guinea · KIE · AYIQ
    77.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Comparison of seismic sources

7 sources currently report magnitudes from M6.0 to M6.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM6.110.0 km4.6 km
SERBIA_RSZM6.110.0 km10.4 km
SCEDCM6.253.5 km0.0 km
USGSM6.253.5 km0.0 km
EMSCM6.160.0 km5.1 km
INGVM6.261.7 km5.2 km
RESIFM6.063.4 km10.2 km

Solomon Islands

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 58 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥498
Earlier events M≥537
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.82026-07-28 20:27:59 UTC105.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.8, near Port Moresby (Monde) M5.72025-05-02 10:59:19 UTC38.0 kmSolomon Islands M5.62025-02-23 01:31:52 UTC55.2 km126 km WNW of Gizo, Solomon Islands M5.52026-05-06 09:42:55 UTC249.0 kmSolomon Islands M5.42025-02-23 04:17:35 UTC41.6 km122 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea

Historic earthquake map · Solomon Islands

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Solomon Islands

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
616
Country (24h)
Solomon Islands
0
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