M4.8 Earthquake 15 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands — August 14, 2026
2026-08-14 20:23:53 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 7:23 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.1 mainshock.
On August 14, 2026 at 20:23 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 15 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands, at a depth of 69.8 km and coordinates -10.4124°, 161.7858°. This earthquake was detected by 49 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred 28 days ago 14 km NW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 2 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
161.7858°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Kirakira, Solomon Islands?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 15 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands on August 14, 2026 at 20:23 UTC had a depth of 69.8 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -10.4124°, 161.7858°, which is 15 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.8 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 14 km NW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tksg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 14, 2026). M4.8 Earthquake 15 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands — August 14, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tksg/