Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-21
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck near the southern East Pacific Rise on May 20, drawing a green USGS PAGER alert with no significant casualties expected. In Peru, a strong M5.9 quake rattled the Ica region on May 19. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused, while Indonesia's Ibu volcano continued erupting through May 18–19, and the Volcano News blog spotlights updates on Awu and Colombia's active volcanoes.
Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-21
Seismic Activity
M6.6 — Southern East Pacific Rise (May 20, 2026) A magnitude 6.6 earthquake was recorded near the southern East Pacific Rise on May 20, 2026 at 17:43 UTC. The USGS PAGER system assigned a green alert level, signalling no significant casualties or damage are expected for this remote oceanic event.
M5.9 — Ica, Peru (May 19, 2026) A strong magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck approximately 33 km southeast of Ica, Peru on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 12:57 pm local Lima time. The event was felt widely in the region.
M4.1 — Shima, Mie, Japan (May 21, 2026) A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck near Shima, Mie, Japan today at 01:06 UTC, at a depth of 328 km — a relatively deep event reducing surface impact. Japan also recorded an earlier M5.9 on May 20.
Southern Iran — Minor Activity (May 19–20, 2026) A M3.0 event near Bandar-e Lāft, southern Iran was recorded at approximately 23:40 UTC on May 19. Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands (Alaska) saw a separate M3.0 at 23:27 UTC the same day.
Volcanic Watch
Kīlauea, Hawaii — Eruption Paused (Alert: ADVISORY / Yellow) As of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's most recent daily update (~13 hours ago), the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea is currently paused. The alert level remains at ADVISORY with an aviation color code of YELLOW. Lava fountain Episode 44 ended at the Kīlauea summit in early April; the volcano continues to be monitored closely.
Ibu, Indonesia — Ongoing Eruption (May 18–19, 2026) The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM/PVMBG) reported that the eruption at Ibu volcano continued on May 18, 2026. A Volcanic Ash Advisory was issued noting ash to FL070 (approximately 7,000 ft / 2,100 m) moving northeast at 5 knots as of May 19–20.
Awu & Colombia's Active Volcanoes — News Roundup (May 20, 2026) The latest Volcano News blog update (posted ~9 hours ago) covers developments on Awu volcano, weekly situation reports on Colima, and updates from Colombia's active volcanic zone. Colima erupted in September 2009 and remains a closely monitored system.
Earth Science
No peer-reviewed research published after 2026-05-19 is available in today's research results. For background context, the Global Volcanism Program notes approximately 40 volcanoes with continuing eruptions worldwide as tracked through March 31, 2026 — a reminder that volcanic activity is a constant feature of our dynamic planet.
Always verify real-time seismic and volcanic data directly with official sources such as USGS (earthquake.usgs.gov) and your regional volcano observatory before drawing conclusions about public safety.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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