Back to map
Solomon Islands · Malaita

M5.7 Earthquake near Malaita (Solomon Islands)

UTC time: 2026-05-16 15:17:56 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.

Map

M5.7 Earthquake near Malaita (Solomon Islands) · 2026-05-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.7 Earthquake near Malaita (Solomon Islands) · 2026-05-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On May 16, 2026 at 15:17 UTC, a magnitude M5.7 earthquake occurred near Malaita (Solomon Islands). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 23 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
c78aac50bff3d0adebe2b8380acd74734ab65e2a
Magnitude
M5.7
Depth
23.4 km
UTC time
2026-05-16 15:17:56 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Solomon Islands
State
Malaita
City
Malaita
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-8.55260, 160.91610
Temperature
25.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 23.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 23.4 km
Shallow
23.4 km
23.4 km — shallower than 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Malango135.6 kmSW15'560

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Savo
    Distance: 137 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 455 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Solomon Islands
  • New Georgia at 8.9°S
    Distance: 320 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -240 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Kavachi
    Distance: 326 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -20 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Solomon Islands
  • Coleman Seamount
    Distance: 414 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -717 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Kana Keoki
    Distance: 428 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -700 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Simbo
    Distance: 484 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 335 m ·Last eruption: 1910 ·Solomon Islands

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Manaoba AirportSolomon Islands · MHM · AGOB
    28.3 kmStraight-line distance
  • Gwaunaru'u AirportSolomon Islands · AKS · AGGA
    30.7 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

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 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥47
Earlier events M≥53
Compared since2025-01-27

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-05-16 15:17:54 UTC9.5 kmMalaita M5.22026-05-16 15:17:55 UTC23.4 kmGwaunatafu M5.12025-08-04 03:54:13 UTC115.0 kmSOLOMON ISLANDS M4.72025-03-27 16:16:27 UTC55.4 km44 km NW of Auki, Solomon Islands M4.72025-03-15 17:53:14 UTC148.6 km97 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands

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)
626
Country (24h)
Solomon Islands
0
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share