Reviewed by USGS22d ago
M5.4 earthquake in Kermadec Islands region
Friday, September 4, 2026, 11:59:58 UTC · 28.562°S, 176.645°W
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck in Kermadec Islands region on Friday, September 4, 2026, 11:59:58 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.5 on August 30, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- III
- Weak (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
2 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
65 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Kermadec and Pacific plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No populated area was estimated to feel noticeable shaking.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km since this event; the largest was M4.7 on September 6, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 2,401 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.21917 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand EarthquakeMay 1, 1917 · 293 km S of this epicenter
- 8.12021 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand EarthquakeMarch 4, 2021 · 143 km SW of this epicenter
- 8.01976 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand EarthquakeJanuary 14, 1976 · 100 km W of this epicenter
- 7.8south of the Fiji IslandsDecember 9, 2007 · 298 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7Kermadec Islands regionOctober 20, 1986 · 56 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.6Kermadec Islands regionJuly 6, 2011 · 113 km S of this epicenter
- 7.5Kermadec Islands regionFebruary 27, 1955 · 105 km E of this epicenter
- 7.5Kermadec Islands, New ZealandNovember 16, 1917 · 184 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 22 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1986M8.1
Raoul
20 Oct 1986 · 56 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1976M7.9
Kermadec Islands
14 Jan 1976 · 104 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2021M8.1
Sse Of Raoul Island
4 Mar 2021 · 144 km away · intensity IX
tsunami
- 1917M8.0
Kermadec Islands
1 May 1917 · 79 km away
tsunami
- 1955M7.8
Kermadec Islands
27 Feb 1955 · 128 km away
- 1976M7.8
Kermadec Islands
14 Jan 1976 · 161 km away · intensity VIII
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.