Strong M6.2 Earthquake struck on Monday Night in Solomon Islands.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 11th, 2026. Last updated November 4th, 2026.

A strong Magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck under land Solomon Islands in the night of Monday October 12th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 310 thousand people. Another nearby country is Papua New Guinea.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Solomon Islands, 93 kilometer (58 mi) south of Arawa in Bougainville. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 31 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:	93 km south of Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 7°2'54"S 155°44'59"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:	31 km (19 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (5 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to 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 310 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 310 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 VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 1,100 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 220 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 290 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Papua New Guinea , with level VI (strong shaking, probably light damage) as the highest recorded. In Solomon Islands , around 20 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
830	III	Weak	Probably none
223,700	IV	Light	Likely none
86,790	V	Moderate	Very light
1,100	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 93 kilometer (58 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

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
93 km (58 mi) N from epicenter	Arawa Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.	IV Light

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

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. At a distance of 63 km (39 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.3

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 This Earthquake	M 6.2	Oct 12, 2026 01:07 (Bougainville Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.3	2 days later Oct 13, 2026 15:51 (Bougainville Time)	63 km (39 mi) W 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.

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 34 km (21 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.

Tsunami very unlikely

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.

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always 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 on land near a coastal area (5 km from 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 31 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 04/11/26 02:28 (). 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.