Shallow M5.9 earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island

A shallow M5.9 earthquake occurred west of Macquarie Island at 14:49 UTC on October 9, 2026. The earthquake’s hypocenter was located at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 miles), with coordinates at 154.5°E, 61.0°S.

The epicenter lies in the southern Indian Ocean, west of Macquarie Island, a remote sub-Antarctic island administered by Australia. The region is characterized by vast oceanic expanses with no nearby major population centers or settlements.

Given its remote, oceanic location, critical infrastructure such as ports, shipping routes, or research stations may be found in the broader area, but there are no large urban developments near the epicenter.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its location and available data.

USGS issued a green alert for this event, indicating a low likelihood of casualties or damage. The maximum estimated intensity is 0. The significance index is 536 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude, felt reports, and estimated impact.

Macquarie Island is situated near the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, making the region seismically active with frequent moderate to strong earthquakes.

This information was last updated at 15:13 UTC on October 9, 2026.