5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 187 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — October 5, 2026

2026-10-05 10:52:09 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 8:52 PM UTC+10 local

MagnitudeM5.0(mb)
Time10:52 UTC≈ 8:52 PM UTC+10
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates15.805°, 147.395°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On October 5, 2026 at 10:52 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 187 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 15.8046°, 147.3950°. This earthquake was detected by 74 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 15.80°, 147.40°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
15.8046°N
147.3950°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000tzna
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
385
Stations Used
74
Azimuthal Gap
80.0°
Min Station Distance
1.646°
RMS Residual
0.71 sec
Last Updated
2026-10-05 13:02:18 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 187 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on October 5, 2026 at 10:52 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.8046°, 147.3950°, which is 187 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tzna). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 5, 2026). M5.0 Earthquake 187 km ENE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — October 5, 2026. Retrieved October 5, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tzna/