Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-16
A powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on May 15, felt widely across the region. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's latest eruptive episode ended abruptly overnight, while Bezymianny in Russia had its alert level raised to orange amid increased activity, and multiple volcanoes including Reventador, Fuego, and Semeru continued active eruptions globally.
Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-16
Seismic Activity
M6.7 Earthquake Near Kesennuma, Japan — May 15, 2026
A very strong magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck approximately 58 km (36 mi) east of Kesennuma, Miyagi, Japan on the evening of May 15, 2026 at 8:22 pm local time (GMT+9). The quake had a shallow depth of 44 km (27 mi) and was felt over a large region.
Minor Seismic Activity — May 16, 2026
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck near Otra Banda, La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic at 04:21 UTC on May 16.
Volcanic Watch
Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi — Episode 47 Ends Abruptly
The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that Episode 47 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea ended abruptly at 12:27 a.m. The volcano remains at Aviation Color Code YELLOW / Alert Level ADVISORY.
Bezymianny, Russia — Alert Raised to Orange
Bezymianny volcano in Russia saw its Aviation Color Code raised to orange on May 14, 2026, amid increased eruptive activity.
Global Volcanic Activity — May 14, 2026
VolcanoDiscovery's May 14 worldwide summary reported active conditions at multiple volcanoes including Santiaguito and Fuego (Guatemala), Semeru and Ibu (Indonesia), Dukono (Indonesia), and Reventador (Ecuador), where 14 thermal anomalies were detected. Precursory lava overflows also began at Kīlauea's summit area around this time.
Shishaldin, Alaska — Ongoing Unrest
USGS reports that Shishaldin volcano in Alaska continues at Yellow/Advisory status, with ongoing seismic and infrasound signals, as well as sulfur dioxide and steam emissions observed.
Earth Science
No new peer-reviewed research findings published after 2026-05-14 were available in today's research results. For ongoing global eruption statistics, the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program tracks approximately 40 volcanoes with continuing eruptions at any given reporting period.
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.
Powered by
