Shallow M6.7 Earthquake struck on Saturday Morning in the Coral Sea 242km from Nouméa (New Caledonia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 25th, 2026. Last updated October 18th, 2026.

A shallow and strong MAG-6.7 earthquake struck in the Coral Sea 242 kilometer from Nouméa, New Caledonia in the morning of Saturday September 26th, 2026. Mag 6.5+ earthquakes at shallow depth under sea have the potential to cause tsunami's. Vanuatu is also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 53 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of New Caledonia, 242 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 08:23 (Noumea Time) - Sep 25, 2026 21:23 Universal Time.
Location:	242 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 21°18'46"S 168°33'16"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.7 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.043 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Potential Tsunami Risk Mag 6.5+ earthquakes at shallow depth under sea have the potential to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Potential Tsunami Risk

There is a potential tsunami risk in the aftermath of this earthquake, immediately evacuate to higher grounds away from coastal areas and monitor advice from local authorities. This earthquake checks all the likely tsunami risk factors: under sea, at a magnitude of MAG-6.5+ and at a shallow depth.

Tsunami Risk Factors

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 20 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 20 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 2,300 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 10 thousand) live in an area exposed to level IV, where light shaking and likely no damage is expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In New Caledonia , around 20 thousand people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). In Vanuatu , around 3 thousand people.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. New Caledonia and Vanuatu are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Located 231 kilometer (144 mi) north-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Mont-Dore (South Province, New Caledonia) is the nearest significant population center.

A complete list of nearby places is included below.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. 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.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 14 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 14 people have reported shaking in 4 places in 2 countries (New Caledonia, Vanuatu).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Nouméa, Sud, New Caledonia: 11 people.
• Tadine, Îles, New Caledonia: 1 person.
• Dumbéa, Sud, New Caledonia: 1 person.
• Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu: 1 person.

59 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 59 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 2 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.5 was detected 13 km (8 mi) southwest of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

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.

This is the strongest earthquake in 3 years

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 7th, 2023, when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit 110 km (69 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on December 5th, 2018.

In total, 8 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.7 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 year.

Sources

Last updated 18/10/26 23:38 (). 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 us6000txpi
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260925_0000287
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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