Earthquakes medium

M 5.3 Earthquake 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna

Source: USGS · Wallis and Futuna

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 191 km SE of Mata-Utu. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.3 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.3 event ranks stronger than 80% of them (rank #260 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.3
USGS class
Moderate
Location
191 km SE of Mata-Utu
Archive rank
#260 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 17, 2026
MODERATE

Stronger than 80% of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive, weaker than 259 others.

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 M 5.3 mww earthquake occurred 191 km SE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna, on 2026-08-17 at 12:02:41 UTC. The event was recorded at a depth of 10 km with coordinates 14.4792°S, 174.8957°W. The USGS reviewed the event with a magnitude type of mww.

Location Details

The earthquake was located 191 km southeast of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna, at latitude -14.4792 and longitude -174.8957. The 10 km depth classifies it as shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports, tsunami advisory, or alert level data were available for this event. The tsunami flag was recorded as 0.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as moderate. Residents in the region should follow standard safety practices during seismic events.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000thzw

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 (867 characters here).

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Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 17, 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

How strong was this earthquake? ▾
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 191 km southeast of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna, at a depth of 10 km.
How should a magnitude 5.3 ("Moderate") event be understood? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.3 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #260 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 80% of them and weaker than 259 others.
Was Mata-Utu likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 191 km SE of Mata-Utu. 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.

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