M5.1 Earthquake 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 16, 2026
2026-09-16 08:37:00 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 6:37 PM UTC+10 local
On September 16, 2026 at 08:37 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 14.3886°, 147.1141°. This earthquake was detected by 56 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 400, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
147.1141°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on September 16, 2026 at 08:37 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 14.3886°, 147.1141°, which is 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000thsx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 16, 2026). M5.1 Earthquake 172 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands — September 16, 2026. Retrieved September 16, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000thsx/