Just after midnight of Saturday July 18th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.1 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 230 kilometer from Honiara, Solomon Islands.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, right off the coast of Solomon Islands (6 mi offshore), 230 kilometer south-east of Honiara. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 68 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 18, 2026 00:27 (Guadalcanal Time) - Jul 17, 2026 13:27 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 230 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands. Coordinates 10°21'25"S 161°50'1"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 276 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.034 . |
| Depth: | 68 km (42 mi) A quite 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 Solomon Islands . Located 230 kilometer (143 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Honiara (Honiara, Solomon Islands) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 230 km (143 mi) NW from epicenter |
Honiara Honiara, Solomon Islands. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 June 27th, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 146 km (91 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2016.
In total, 121 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 30 days.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 68 km (42 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 28/07/26 00:18 (). 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 us7000t1b3
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260717_0000221
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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