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M5.5 Earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands

UTC time: 2026-09-07 05:50:45 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

southeast of the Loyalty Islands

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 2026-09-07 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 2026-09-07 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near southeast of the Loyalty Islands on September 7, 2026 at 05:50 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
e733851431ff48d5a7e2ba9e6efca52c76394778
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-07 05:50:45 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-23.41920, 171.67690

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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.

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 31 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mont-Dore539.2 kmW24'680

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 120 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 317 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 490 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.5.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
RESIFM5.110.0 km15.1 km
USGSM5.510.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.410.0 km10.0 km
EMSCM5.435.0 km15.1 km

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#8
Earlier events M≥475
Earlier events M≥535
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.72026-07-13 14:45:54 UTC54.5 kmsoutheast of the Loyalty Islands M6.12025-08-16 12:08:26 UTC108.4 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.92025-08-16 12:08:26 UTC103.1 kmNew Caledonia [Sea] M5.72025-07-05 19:47:30 UTC93.6 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.62025-08-22 12:55:31 UTC123.9 km

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
574
Country (24h)
—
—
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