A shallow and significant MAG-5.3 aftershock struck in the Coral Sea 227 kilometer from Nouméa, New Caledonia around noon of Saturday September 26th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 36 kilometers (22 mi) off the coast of New Caledonia, 227 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 12:10 (Noumea Time) - Sep 26, 2026 01:10 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 227 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 21°17'18"S 168°22'20"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 31 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.104 . |
| 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 New Caledonia . Located 216 kilometer (134 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
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 216 km (134 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mont-Dore South Province, New Caledonia. |
| 220 km (137 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dumbéa South Province, New Caledonia. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nouméa South Province, New Caledonia. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.6 earthquake struck 25 km (15 mi) east in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 4 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| 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 4.9 |
2 hrs later Sep 26, 2026 10:32 (Noumea Time) | 19 km (12 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | 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 This Earthquake |
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?
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.
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, 176 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 21 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 5.3. 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 28/09/26 23:18 (). 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 us6000txqu
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260926_0000010
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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