Shallow M5.3 AFTERSHOCK struck on Saturday Morning in the Coral Sea 245km from Nouméa (New Caledonia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 26th, 2026. Last updated October 19th, 2026.

A shallow and significant M5.3 aftershock struck in the Coral Sea 245 kilometer from Nouméa, New Caledonia in the morning of Saturday September 26th, 2026. Roughly 7 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 55 kilometers (34 mi) off the coast of New Caledonia, 245 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 10:52 (Noumea Time) - Sep 25, 2026 23:52 Universal Time.
Location:	245 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 21°12'13"S 168°31'17"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 32 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.102 .
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 5,100 people are expected to be exposed to this level.

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 . Mont-Dore in South Province, New Caledonia is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 234 kilometer (145 mi) north-east of Mont-Dore.

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 was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.7 earthquake struck 13 km (8 mi) south in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 2 hrs earlier.

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.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 177 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

Sources

Last updated 19/10/26 00:38 (). 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 us6000txqk
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260925_0000318
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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