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M5.1 Earthquake near Nouvelle-Calédonie (France)

UTC time: 2026-01-08 12:33:26 UTC Local time: —
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Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

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M5.1 Earthquake near Nouvelle-Calédonie (France) · 2026-01-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near Nouvelle-Calédonie (France) · 2026-01-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On January 8, 2026 at 12:33 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near Nouvelle-Calédonie (France). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 79 km. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by GFZ and cross-checked across seismological networks. France: 15 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M2.3.

Details

ID
7ffce0da6ec57a17560a17fe9e52151003a62078
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
79.0 km
UTC time
2026-01-08 12:33:26 UTC
Local time
—
Country
France
City
Nouvelle-Calédonie
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-22.40000, 171.55000
Temperature
26.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 79 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 79 km
Intermediate
79 km
79 km — deeper than the regional average (6.1 km)
Regional average: 6.1 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mont-Dore512.8 kmW24'680

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 25 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 51 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 217 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 386 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 471 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu

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 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM6.0
M4.92026-01-08 12:33:27 UTC11.7 kmNouvelle-Calédonie M4.82026-01-19 09:25:55 UTC143.7 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.02026-01-19 13:01:02 UTC98.7 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M6.02026-01-19 13:02:20 UTC135.4 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 243.6) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M5.52026-01-19 13:02:21 UTC129.3 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.22026-01-20 04:39:07 UTC142.0 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M4.82026-01-20 13:42:45 UTC142.6 km252 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia

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#16
Earlier events M≥457
Earlier events M≥522
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12025-08-16 12:08:26 UTC129.7 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.92025-08-16 12:08:26 UTC128.2 kmNew Caledonia [Sea] M5.72025-07-05 19:47:30 UTC45.5 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.62025-08-22 12:55:31 UTC96.5 km M5.62025-08-16 12:08:24 UTC115.7 kmsoutheast of the Loyalty Islands

Historic earthquake map · France

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

Country statistics · France

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

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