Earthquakes in the Northern Mariana Islands — March 2026

4 earthquakes were recorded in the Northern Mariana Islands during March 2026, an average of 0.1 per day.

4 reached magnitude 4 or above and 1 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 198 km.

The month's largest event in the Northern Mariana Islands was a magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands on 03 March 2026 at 14:38 UTC. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake radiates roughly 1,344 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is close to the the Northern Mariana Islands monthly average of 3 events over the period we cover, and up from the 3 recorded the previous month.

0% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 75% intermediate (70–300 km) and 25% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 3 in the magnitude 4 range, 1 in the magnitude 5 range.

The month's largest events were M5.3 near Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands on 03 March at 191 km; M4.8 near Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands on 09 March at 156 km; M4.7 near Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands on 18 March at 327 km.

That is 19% above the 3 events the Northern Mariana Islands averages per month across the 20 months on record.