In the North Pacific Ocean 215 kilometer from Dededo Village, Guam, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Tuesday January 6th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 182 kilometers (113 mi) off the coast of Guam, 215 kilometer south-southwest of Dededo Village in Dededo. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 6, 2026 17:01 (Guam Time) - Jan 6, 2026 07:01 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 215 km SSW of Dededo Village, Dededo, Guam. Coordinates 11°51'59"N 143°48'0"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 186 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.042 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Guam . Located 206 kilometer (128 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Hagåtña (Hagatna, Guam) is the nearest significant population center.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 206 km (128 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
| 206 km (128 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
| 207 km (129 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
| 215 km (134 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
| 220 km (137 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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 December 24th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 50 km (31 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on November 4th, 2025.
In total, 42 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 3 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/02/26 00:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rms9
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260106_0000123
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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