In the evening of Wednesday February 18th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 151 kilometer from Labasa, Fiji.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 65 kilometers (40 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 151 kilometer east of Labasa in Northern. The center of this earthquake had a deep depth of 532 km.
| Date and Time: | Feb 18, 2026 19:57 (Fiji Time) - Feb 18, 2026 07:57 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 151 km east of Labasa, Northern, Fiji. Coordinates 16°42'25"S 179°14'43"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 62 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.074 . |
| Depth: | 532 km (331 mi) A deep depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Fiji . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Labasa in Northern, Fiji. Labasa is located 151 kilometer (94 mi) east of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 151 km (94 mi) W from epicenter |
Labasa Northern, Fiji. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Suva Central, Fiji. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
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 19th, 2025, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 115 km (72 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.
In total, 128 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 29 days.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 532 km (331 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/02/26 22:08 (). 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 us6000s9xy
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260218_0000108
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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