Earthquakes medium

M 5.0 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands

Source: USGS · Loyalty Islands region

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded by USGS near Loyalty Islands region. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.0 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,717 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.0 event ranks stronger than 55% of them (rank #604 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.0
USGS class
Moderate
Location
Loyalty Islands region
Archive rank
#604 of 1,717
Source
USGS
Published
September 13, 2026
MODERATE

Sits above 55% of the 1,717 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 603 ran stronger.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A magnitude 5.0 mww earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands. The event was recorded at Unix timestamp 1789284623024 with a depth of 98.813 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located at coordinates latitude -22.2281, longitude 171.3544. The depth of 98.813 km classifies it as a deep earthquake (greater than 70 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami value 0) and no alert level assigned.

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake. Such events can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000th50

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Comparable nationwide notices (length or severity timing) 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (689 characters here).

Bushfire Advice for Black Snake Creek and Clarence Valley 689 chars Bushfire Alert in Darkes Forest and Princes Motorway Area 689 chars Bushfire Alert in Fullerton Cove, Port Stephens 689 chars Joy Peach Lassi Recall Issued for Inadequate Pasteurization 689 chars

Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 13, 2026.

Flood Alert for Suffolk Coast at Southwold medium Flood Alert for Tidal River Waveney from Ellingham to Breydon Water medium Flood Alert for Essex Coast from Clacton to St Peters Flat (Sep 13, 2026) medium Bush Fire Advice for Clearfield Rd, Clearfield medium

Common Questions

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.0 mww earthquake occurred southeast of the Loyalty Islands at a depth of 98.813 km.
How should a magnitude 5.0 ("Moderate") event be understood? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.0 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #604 strongest of the 1,717 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 55% of them and weaker than 603 others.
Was Loyalty Islands region likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
Whether an earthquake is felt depends on its depth, distance from population centers, and local geology, not magnitude alone. Check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data.

Where this data comes from

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AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

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National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

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