LIGHT EARTHQUAKE
79 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 79 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on 20 Aug 2026, 21:57 UTC. The hypocentre was 211.3 km below the surface — intermediate by seismological convention. 5 other earthquakes above our reporting threshold have been recorded within 250 km in the past 30 days.
- Depth
- 211.3 km
- Latitude
- 15.92°N
- Time
- 21:57 UTC
- Magnitude
- M4.5
intermediate
145.61°E longitude
20 Aug 2026
mb
EPICENTRE
MAGNITUDE 4.5
Noticeable shaking of indoor objects. Damage is unlikely.
The scale is logarithmic: this released about 180 times the energy of a magnitude 3.0, roughly the energy of 85 tonnes of TNT.
211.3 KM DEEP
At this depth the energy spreads before it reaches the surface. Shaking is usually weaker than a shallow earthquake of the same size, but it can be felt across a wider area.
NEARBY IN THE PAST 30 DAYS
5 earthquakes above our reporting threshold within 250 km of this one, the largest a magnitude 5.1.
OTHER RECENT EARTHQUAKES
18 Sept 2026, 02:12 UTC · 36.3 km deep
18 Sept 2026, 01:29 UTC · 106 km deep
18 Sept 2026, 01:07 UTC · 53.9 km deep
17 Sept 2026, 22:11 UTC · 82.7 km deep