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Solomon Islands · Western

M5.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands)

UTC time: 2026-09-14 16:15:06 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

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M5.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands) · 2026-09-14 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.2 Earthquake near Western (Solomon Islands) · 2026-09-14 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.2 earthquake was recorded near Western (Solomon Islands) on September 14, 2026 at 16:15 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

ID
ee6139068987abfa85a502eaaa0b00823951e5bc
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-14 16:15:06 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Solomon Islands
State
Western
City
Western
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-8.94540, 157.74150
Temperature
26.9°C

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (66.3 km)
Regional average: 66.3 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

Tectonic context

Located on the Pacific Plate.
Near the boundary Pacific ↔ Australia · about 12 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nggosi250.4 kmE26'009
Port Moresby1159.3 kmW283'733

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kavachi
    Distance: 27 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -20 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·Solomon Islands
  • New Georgia at 8.9°S
    Distance: 32 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -240 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Coleman Seamount
    Distance: 65 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -717 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Kana Keoki
    Distance: 81 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -700 m ·Solomon Islands
  • Simbo
    Distance: 153 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 335 m ·Last eruption: 1910 ·Solomon Islands
  • Savo
    Distance: 228 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 455 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Solomon Islands

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Gatokae AerodromeSolomon Islands · GTA · AGOK
    55.7 kmStraight-line distance
  • Munda AirportSolomon Islands · MUA · AGGM
    86.5 kmStraight-line distance
  • Ramata AirportSolomon Islands · RBV · AGRM
    87.1 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-16

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

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.2 to M5.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.210.0 km9.6 km
USGSM5.210.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.223.0 km5.3 km

Solomon Islands

Context for this earthquake

16 Sep 2025 – 16 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 56 Catalogue entries

Of 55 other entries for this area and period, 10 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥416
Earlier events M≥53
Compared since2025-01-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.32026-08-06 13:42:12 UTC146.0 kmIsabel M5.12026-06-05 18:52:36 UTC139.9 kmSolomon Islands M5.02026-06-05 18:52:36 UTC139.7 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near Port Moresby (Monde) M4.92025-04-10 17:16:35 UTC140.1 km119 km W of Buala, Solomon Islands M4.82026-08-31 20:00:29 UTC51.3 kmWestern

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)
557
Country (24h)
Solomon Islands
0
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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