Earthquakes medium

M 5.1 - 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Source: USGS · Northern Mariana Islands

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 172 km ESE of Saipan. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.1 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.1 event ranks stronger than 65% of them (rank #454 by magnitude).

30 seconds on this earthquake report

Magnitude
M 5.1
USGS class
Moderate
Location
172 km ESE of Saipan
Archive rank
#454 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 16, 2026
MODERATE

Sits above 65% of the 1,740 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 453 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 5.1 mb earthquake occurred at 1789547820012 (2026-09-16 12:37:00 UTC) with an epicenter at latitude 14.3886, longitude 147.1141. The event was located 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10 km and was reviewed by USGS.

Location Details

The earthquake was centered 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at coordinates 14.3886 N, 147.1141 E. The 10 km depth classifies it as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports, tsunami advisory, or alert level information are available in the source data. The tsunami flag is recorded as 0.

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake. Shallow events can produce noticeable shaking in the region.

Source

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000thsx (USGS)

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Elsewhere in the country: similar length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (818 characters here).

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Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 16, 2026.

Yellow Fog Advisory for Rocky View Co. near Airdrie and Crossfield medium Grass Fire Advice for Blackshaw Rd, Goulburn medium HAZMAT Alert at Carrington St, Woodstock medium Bushfire Alert: Sutherland St, Kingscliff medium

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.1 mb earthquake struck 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10 km.
What does a magnitude 5.1 ("Moderate") earthquake mean? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.1 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 #454 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 65% of them and weaker than 453 others.
Was Saipan likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 172 km ESE of Saipan. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

Where this data comes from

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

Real-time AQI for every monitored U.S. location

National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference behind every AQI category