A strong Magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in the Solomon Sea 88 kilometer from Arawa, Papua New Guinea in the night of Monday October 12th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 320 thousand people.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Solomon Sea, right off the coast of Papua New Guinea (9 mi offshore), 88 kilometer south of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 54 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Oct 12, 2026 01:07 (Bougainville Time) - Oct 11, 2026 14:07 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 88 km south of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 7°0'22"S 155°42'8"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 6.2 Detected by 47 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 . |
| Depth: | 54 km (33 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VI
Strong 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 320 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 320 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.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is V, which corresponds with moderate shaking and very light damage. Roughly 78,380 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 240 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 310 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Papua New Guinea , with level V (moderate shaking, very light damage) as the highest recorded. Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Solomon Islands too.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 1,050 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 243,500 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 78,380 | 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 Papua New Guinea . Located 88 kilometer (55 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Arawa (Bougainville, Papua New Guinea) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Arawa is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 88 km (55 mi) N from epicenter |
Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. |
IV
Light |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. 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.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 1st, 2024, when a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit 27 km (17 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on January 22nd, 2017.
In total, 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.2 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 3 years.
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 6.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 54 km (33 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 11/10/26 22:08 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000u1kv
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261011_0000218
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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