In the Philippine Sea 111 kilometer from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred in the night of Thursday September 17th, 2026. Roughly 200 thousand people may have felt this earthquake. Another nearby country is Guam.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 74 kilometers (46 mi) off the coast of Northern Mariana Islands, 111 kilometer south of Saipan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 107 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 17, 2026 04:06 (Guam Time) - Sep 16, 2026 18:06 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 100 km NE of Yigo Village, Yigo, Guam. Coordinates 14°16'19"N 145°25'12"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 . |
| Depth: | 107 km (66 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 200 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 200 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 198,600 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Guam , around 170 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage). In Northern Mariana Islands , around 30 thousand people.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 198,600 | 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
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Guam and Northern Mariana Islands are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 100 kilometer (62 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Yigo Village (Yigo, Guam) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Yigo Village is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 km (62 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 105 km (65 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 111 km (69 mi) N from epicenter |
Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. |
|
| 111 km (69 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 111 km (69 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 113 km (70 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 114 km (71 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 115 km (71 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 February 12th, 2026, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 86 km (53 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck on April 2nd, 2024.
In total, 66 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 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 km (66 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 07/10/26 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 us7000thwt
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260916_0000245
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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