Shallow M5.5 AFTERSHOCK struck on Saturday Morning in the Coral Sea 229km from Nouméa (New Caledonia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 25th, 2026. Last updated September 29th, 2026.

In the morning of Saturday September 26th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.5 aftershock hit in the Coral Sea 229 kilometer from Nouméa, New Caledonia. Roughly 7 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 39 kilometers (24 mi) off the coast of New Caledonia, 229 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:	229 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 21°22'29"S 168°26'41"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

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 7 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 6,740 people are expected to be exposed to this level.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 7 thousand people were exposed to shaking in New Caledonia , with level IV (light shaking, likely no damage) as the highest recorded.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
0	III	Weak	Probably none
6,740	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 may have been felt in New Caledonia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Mont-Dore in South Province, New Caledonia. Mont-Dore is located 218 kilometer (135 mi) north-east of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
218 km (135 mi) SW from epicenter	Mont-Dore South Province, New Caledonia.
223 km (139 mi) SW from epicenter	Dumbéa South Province, New Caledonia.
229 km (142 mi) SW from epicenter	Nouméa South Province, New Caledonia.

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

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.6 earthquake struck 19 km (12 mi) north-east in advance of this 5.5 earthquake around 2 hrs earlier.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock	M 6.6	Sep 26, 2026 08:23 (Noumea Time)	-
Aftershock	M 5.1	45 mins later Sep 26, 2026 09:07 (Noumea Time)	5 km (2.9 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	2 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 09:58 (Noumea Time)	13 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	2 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 10:32 (Noumea Time)	19 km (12 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 5.5	2 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 10:39 (Noumea Time)	19 km (12 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.4	2 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 10:52 (Noumea Time)	21 km (13 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.3	4 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 12:10 (Noumea Time)	25 km (15 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	4 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 12:17 (Noumea Time)	0.5 km (0.3 mi) NE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	8 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 16:50 (Noumea Time)	23 km (14 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	10 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 18:08 (Noumea Time)	23 km (14 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	10 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 18:22 (Noumea Time)	8 km (5 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	11 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 19:24 (Noumea Time)	12 km (7 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	12 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 19:54 (Noumea Time)	31 km (19 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	12 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 20:07 (Noumea Time)	15 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	12 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 20:08 (Noumea Time)	33 km (20 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	12 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 20:10 (Noumea Time)	15 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	13 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 21:21 (Noumea Time)	15 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.7	15 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 23:11 (Noumea Time)	10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	15 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 23:14 (Noumea Time)	24 km (15 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	15 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 23:14 (Noumea Time)	31 km (19 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	16 hrs later Sep 27, 2026 00:48 (Noumea Time)	27 km (17 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	18 hrs later Sep 27, 2026 02:01 (Noumea Time)	11 km (7 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	19 hrs later Sep 27, 2026 03:06 (Noumea Time)	19 km (12 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	21 hrs later Sep 27, 2026 05:25 (Noumea Time)	8 km (5 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	1 day later Sep 27, 2026 12:18 (Noumea Time)	22 km (13 mi) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	1 day later Sep 27, 2026 13:22 (Noumea Time)	10 km (6 mi) E from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.0	2 days later Sep 27, 2026 21:06 (Noumea Time)	18 km (11 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.8	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 11:47 (Noumea Time)	17 km (10 mi) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 14:15 (Noumea Time)	34 km (21 mi) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.3	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 14:25 (Noumea Time)	28 km (17 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.1	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 16:28 (Noumea Time)	12 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 16:42 (Noumea Time)	23 km (14 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 16:42 (Noumea Time)	41 km (25 mi) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.2	2 days later Sep 28, 2026 16:45 (Noumea Time)	21 km (13 mi) NW 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.

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. In total, 106 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

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.5. 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 29/09/26 22:48 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.