On Saturday Morning a Shallow M5.5 AFTERSHOCK struck in the Coral Sea 241km from Nouméa (New Caledonia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 25th, 2026. Last updated October 20th, 2026.

In the morning of Saturday September 26th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.5 aftershock hit in the Coral Sea 241 kilometer from Nouméa, New Caledonia. Roughly 7 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 51 kilometers (32 mi) off the coast of New Caledonia, 241 kilometer north-east of Nouméa in South Province. 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 26, 2026 10:39 (Noumea Time) - Sep 25, 2026 23:39 Universal Time.
Location:	241 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 21°20'22"S 168°33'15"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 13 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.086 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 7 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 7 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 6,590 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In New Caledonia , around 7 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in New Caledonia . Located 229 kilometer (142 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Mont-Dore (South Province, New Caledonia) is the nearest significant population center.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-6.7 earthquake that struck 2 hrs earlier. That main earthquake hit 3 km (1.8 mi) north of the epicenter of this MAG-5.5 aftershock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

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.

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 108 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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 month.

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

Sources

Last updated 20/10/26 00:48 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000txqi
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260925_0000314
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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