M6.0 Earthquake near Leeward Islands

UTC time: 2026-05-16 14:50:07 UTC Local time:
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
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 ↗

Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
59.0 km
Source
GFZ

Leeward Islands

Map

M6.0 Earthquake near Leeward Islands · 2026-05-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.0 Earthquake near Leeward Islands · 2026-05-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On May 16, 2026 at 14:50 UTC, a magnitude M6.0 earthquake occurred near Leeward Islands. With a focal depth of about 59 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

ID
9b44a4306dba1831dd4882ae90b4de7bb0c72f46
Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
59.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-16 14:50:07 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
gfz
Coordinates
17.26000, -61.33000
Temperature
27.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 59 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 59 km
Shallow
59 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
St John's56.7 kmW51'737
Carolina505.4 kmW170'404
Maturín859.2 kmS647'459

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Distance: 109 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 915 m ·Last eruption: 2013 ·United Kingdom
  • Distance: 133 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 985 m ·Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Distance: 140 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'467 m ·Last eruption: 1977 ·France
  • Distance: 157 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'156 m ·Last eruption: 160 ·Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 601 m ·Last eruption: 250 ·Netherlands
  • Distance: 184 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 861 m ·Dominica

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • V. C. Bird International AirportAntigua & Barbuda · ANU · TAPA
    51.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • Burton-Nibbs International AirportAntigua & Barbuda · BBQ · TAPB
    63.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-08

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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM6.0

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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#17
Earlier events M≥4100
Earlier events M≥534
Compared since2025-03-03

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
581
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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