In the night of Thursday September 10th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit in the Coral Sea 289 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 38 kilometers (23 mi) off the coast of Vanuatu, 289 kilometer south-east of Port-Vila in Shefa. 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: | Sep 10, 2026 04:01AM (Efate Time) - Sep 9, 2026 17:01 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 289 km SE of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 19°49'25"S 169°56'55"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 34 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 . |
| 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 Vanuatu . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Port-Vila in Shefa, Vanuatu. Port-Vila is located 289 kilometer (180 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 289 km (180 mi) NW from epicenter |
Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu. |
2 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 2 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 17 mins later 15 km (9 mi) north-east of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 5.1 |
2 days earlier Sep 8, 2026 11:52AM (Efate Time) | 18 km (11 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Sep 10, 2026 04:01AM (Efate Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
17 mins later Sep 10, 2026 04:18AM (Efate Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs later Sep 10, 2026 06:15AM (Efate Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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 September 5th, 2026, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 22 km (14 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on December 5th, 2018.
In total, 180 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 20 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 5.2. 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 09/09/26 23:58 (). 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 us7000tg3x
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260909_0000209
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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