M6.3 earthquake — southeast of the Loyalty Islands
A strong magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred southeast of the Loyalty Islands on Jul 13, 2026 at 14:45 UTC. The epicenter was at a depth of 16 km — a shallow earthquake. Shallow quakes concentrate their energy near the surface, so they tend to produce stronger shaking close to the epicenter.
Event data
| Magnitude | M6.3 |
|---|---|
| Depth | 16.0 km |
| Coordinates | -22.788, 171.553 |
| Time | Jul 13, 14:45 UTC |
| Location | southeast of the Loyalty Islands |
| USGS event ID | us7000t01n |
What this magnitude typically means
A magnitude in this range can cause significant damage near the epicenter, especially to vulnerable buildings. How strongly any given place shakes still depends on distance, depth, and ground conditions. Tremor does not compute a single local shaking figure here, because how strong a quake feels at any address depends on distance, depth and local geology — open the interactive globe to explore the ShakeMap and estimated intensity.
Nearby recent earthquakes
| Magnitude | Distance | Time (UTC) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| M4.9 | 71 km | Jul 27, 10:46 UTC | southeast of the Loyalty Islands |
Source: USGS earthquake catalog. Automated readings may be revised. Not for emergency use.