A significant M5.6 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean in the afternoon of Friday November 28th, 2025. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 258 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 28, 2025 15:30 (Wallis Time) - Nov 28, 2025 03:30 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 272 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Uvea, Wallis and Futuna. Coordinates 15°21'57"S 174°51'3"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 6 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.068 . |
| Depth: | 258 km (160 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | III
Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Not many people felt this earthquake
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 430 have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
An estimated 60 people were exposed to level III. At this level, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 370) live in an area exposed to level II, where very weak shaking and no damage is expected.
People in 3 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 430 people were exposed to shaking in Tonga , with level III (weak shaking, probably no damage) as the highest recorded.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 370 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 60 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Mata-Utu in Uvea, Wallis and Futuna. Mata-Utu is located 272 kilometer (169 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 272 km (169 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Mata-Utu Uvea, Wallis and Futuna. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is III.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since November 14th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 92 km (57 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on May 10th, 2023.
In total, 54 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 258 km (160 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/12/25 05:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rea0
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251128_0000052
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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