M5.6 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Makira-Ulawa (Solomon Islands)

UTC time: 2026-04-18 15:02:56 UTC Local time: —

M5.6 earthquake near Makira-Ulawa on Apr 18, 2026 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24 — M5.6 Earthquake near Makira-Ulawa (Solomon Islands) · 2026-04-18 15:02:56 UTC

About this earthquake

On April 18, 2026 at 15:02 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Makira-Ulawa (Solomon Islands). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by RESIF.

Details

Magnitude

M5.6

Depth

10.0 km

UTC time

2026-04-18 15:02:56 UTC

Local time

—

Country

Solomon Islands

State

Makira-Ulawa

City

Makira-Ulawa

Source

resif

Coordinates

-10.51290, 161.46451

Temperature

26.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Shallow

10 km

10 km — shallower than the regional average (67.4 km)

Regional average: 67.4 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

Malango196.3 kmNW15'560

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Savo

Distance: 237 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 455 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Solomon Islands
New Georgia at 8.9°S

Distance: 416 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -240 m ·Solomon Islands
Kavachi

Distance: 418 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -20 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Solomon Islands
Tinakula

Distance: 475 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Solomon Islands

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours4

First 24 hours4

First 72 hours4

Strongest subsequent eventM5.9

M5.82026-04-18 15:02:58 UTC22.1 kmMakira-Ulawa M5.82026-04-18 15:03:00 UTC20.3 kmMakira-Ulawa M5.92026-04-18 15:03:01 UTC19.4 kmSolomon Is. [Land] M5.12026-04-18 15:03:07 UTC10.6 km M4.62026-04-22 12:04:45 UTC17.3 kmSOLOMON ISLANDS M5.02026-05-12 03:45:42 UTC42.1 kmMakira-Ulawa M5.12026-05-12 03:45:43 UTC45.0 kmMakira-Ulawa

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3

Earlier events M≥453

Earlier events M≥527

Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.02026-02-21 16:42:07 UTC136.6 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 257.1) from Quartzsite, AZ M5.92025-06-24 01:58:39 UTC116.4 kmSolomon Islands M5.52025-06-24 01:58:41 UTC145.8 kmSOLOMON ISLANDS M5.42025-10-19 17:14:24 UTC2.7 kmSolomon Islands M5.42026-02-21 16:42:09 UTC122.2 kmMakira-Ulawa

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)

686

Country (24h)