In the South Pacific Ocean 244 kilometer from Apia, Samoa, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake occurred around noon of Sunday November 8th, 2026. Another nearby country is American Samoa.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 215 kilometers (134 mi) off the coast of Samoa, 244 kilometer southwest of Apia in Tuamasaga. 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: | Nov 8, 2026 12:27 (Apia Time) - Nov 7, 2026 23:27 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 244 km SW of Apia, Tuamasaga, Samoa. Coordinates 15°41'1"S 172°59'5"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 145 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.047 . |
| 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
Samoa and American Samoa are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Apia in Tuamasaga, Samoa is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 244 kilometer (152 mi) southwest of Apia.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 244 km (152 mi) NE from epicenter |
Apia Tuamasaga, Samoa. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NE from epicenter |
Pago Pago Eastern District, American Samoa. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 26th, 2026, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 183 km (114 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on May 10th, 2023.
In total, 182 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 20 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 5.1. 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 08/11/26 15:08 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000twus
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261107_0000292
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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