Reviewed by USGSGuam16d ago
M5.1 earthquake 163 km SW of Merizo Village, Guam
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 13:28:15 UTC · 12.036°N, 143.829°E
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 163 km SW of Merizo Village, Guam on Thursday, September 10, 2026, 13:28:15 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 4 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of II (weak). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.4 on February 12, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 4
- Max intensity II
- Est. shaking
- —
- No 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
674 tons of TNT
That is about 1/22 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
40 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Mariana 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96911<br>0.302 | II · Weak | 4 | 195 km |
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 10, 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 817 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.832 km S of Inarajan Village, GuamAugust 8, 1993 · 149 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.2265 km S of Merizo Village, GuamJanuary 28, 1931 · 147 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.1261 km S of Merizo Village, GuamMay 9, 1917 · 140 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.120 km SSW of Merizo Village, GuamApril 26, 2002 · 145 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.098 km SSE of Inarajan Village, GuamDecember 9, 1909 · 129 km E of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NNE of Yigo Village, GuamOctober 26, 1912 · 233 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.069 km SSE of Inarajan Village, GuamOctober 12, 2001 · 144 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.9Mariana Islands regionAugust 13, 2010 · 261 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 13 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1993M7.8
Tuman Bay, Apra Harbor
8 Aug 1993 · 149 km away · intensity IX
$250 million damagetsunami
- 1849M7.5
Guam
25 Jan 1849 · 226 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1909M8.0
Guam
9 Dec 1909 · 137 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1892M7.5
Guam
16 May 1892 · 226 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 2001M7.0
Guam
12 Oct 2001 · 144 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1825
Ladrones Island
Apr 1825 · 226 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.