Reviewed by USGS8d ago
M5.5 earthquake in Kermadec Islands region
Friday, September 18, 2026, 23:18:28 UTC · 27.858°S, 177.229°W
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck in Kermadec Islands region on Friday, September 18, 2026, 23:18:28 UTC, at a depth of 94.1 km (intermediate). 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
- 5.5
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 94 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 0
- Max intensity I
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
3 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/6 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 6 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
112 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Kermadec and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
94 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 2,227 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.12021 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand EarthquakeMarch 4, 2021 · 207 km S of this epicenter
- 8.01976 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand EarthquakeJanuary 14, 1976 · 76 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.8south of the Fiji IslandsDecember 9, 2007 · 209 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7Kermadec Islands regionOctober 20, 1986 · 89 km E of this epicenter
- 7.6Kermadec Islands regionJuly 6, 2011 · 206 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.5Kermadec Islands regionFebruary 27, 1955 · 168 km E of this epicenter
- 7.5Kermadec Islands, New ZealandNovember 16, 1917 · 229 km S of this epicenter
- 7.4Kermadec Islands, New ZealandMarch 4, 2021 · 211 km S 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 · 89 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1976M7.9
Kermadec Islands
14 Jan 1976 · 150 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2021M8.1
Sse Of Raoul Island
4 Mar 2021 · 209 km away · intensity IX
tsunami
- 1917M8.0
Kermadec Islands
1 May 1917 · 151 km away
tsunami
- 1955M7.8
Kermadec Islands
27 Feb 1955 · 171 km away
- 1976M7.8
Kermadec Islands
14 Jan 1976 · 230 km away · intensity VIII
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.