Earthquake in the Atlantic Ocean: M6.8 on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Oct 13, 2026)

The key facts

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 6.8. It struck on October 13, 2026 at 12:23 UTC, which was 13:23 in London and 8:23 am on the US East Coast. The epicenter lay on the central part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 0.41° S, 19.43° W, with a shallow depth of about 10 km.

There is nothing but ocean around that point. Ascension Island is roughly 1,000 km away, and Brazil’s tiny St Peter and St Paul Archipelago about 1,100 km.

Tsunami flag and expected impact

The USGS listed the event with a tsunami flag. That sounds alarming, but the flag is set automatically for every large ocean earthquake and does not say whether a tsunami formed. For live alerts, check the official warning centers.

The PAGER system, which estimates the human and economic impact of earthquakes, issued a green alert: no fatalities expected and only minor losses, if any.

Why the ridge keeps shaking

The ridge is an underwater mountain chain where plates spread apart by a few centimeters a year. Quakes in the magnitude 6 range are a regular part of that process. You can follow new ones on our live earthquake map.

FAQ

Was there a tsunami warning after the Atlantic earthquake?

The USGS set its tsunami flag for this event, but that flag only means it was a large earthquake in an oceanic region. It is not a warning in itself. Official tsunami messages come from the warning centers listed at tsunami.gov.

Could the earthquake be felt anywhere?

The epicenter was in open ocean, about 1,000 km from the nearest land, Ascension Island. The USGS has no felt reports for this event.

Why do earthquakes happen in the middle of the Atlantic?

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a plate boundary where tectonic plates slowly pull apart. Earthquakes are common along it, but they rarely cause damage because they happen so far from people.