Earthquake.now

M3.2 Earthquake near Nelson, Canada — 16 May 2026

A minor earthquake of magnitude 3.2 was recorded near Nelson, Canada on , with an epicentre 33 km east-southeast of Nelson, at a focal depth of 16.9 km.

3.2 Minor

Time (UTC): 2026-05-16 20:36:48

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 3.2 (minor)

Focal depth: 16.9 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 49.4300, -116.8320

Location: 33 km ESE of Nelson, Canada

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage.

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 158, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 49.4300, -116.8320 — 33 km east-southeast of Nelson. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 2.6 earthquake 36 km northeast of here on 18 February 2026.

Why the 17 km depth matters

At 17 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M3.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

0 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 3.3 event near Mullan on 11 February 2025. This M3.2 event released about 1.4 times less energy than that event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the May 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other magnitude 3 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 3 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong is a magnitude 3.2 earthquake?

Minor earthquakes in this range are felt by people close to the epicentre as a brief jolt or rattle, but they very rarely cause any damage. A magnitude 3.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 kg of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Nelson?

At 17 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

Was the M3.2 earthquake near Nelson felt?

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size may be noticed locally, especially close to the epicentre. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M3.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Nelson?

0 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 3.3 event near Mullan on 11 February 2025. This M3.2 event released about 1.4 times less energy than that event.