Global Earthquake and Volcanic Activity Update – February 18, 2026

Today, February 18, 2026, seismic and volcanic activity continues across the globe, with notable events reported in Japan, the Philippines, Italy, and near several volcanoes. Monitoring efforts are ongoing to assess potential risks and provide timely information to affected regions.

Recent Earthquake Activity

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 104 km southeast of Nakanoshima, Japan, at approximately 11 minutes ago as of 1 hour ago (as of 13:00 UTC). The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) [VolcanoDiscovery]. This event highlights the ongoing seismic activity in the region.

VolcanoDiscovery’s earthquake monitoring reports, updated every minute, show ongoing seismic activity near several locations, including:

• Bratan: Two quakes between magnitudes 2.5-2.5
• Campi Flegrei (Phlegrean Fields), Italy: 19 quakes between magnitudes 0.1-2.8
• Chaîne des Puys: 1 quake of magnitude 1.5
• Clear Lake: 36 quakes between magnitudes 0.5-1.7
• Coso: 1 quake of magnitude 1.2
• El Chichón: 30 quakes between magnitudes 1.2-2.6
• El Hierro: 1 quake of magnitude 2.0
• Eldey: 4 quakes between magnitudes 1.0-2.6
• Eyafjallajökull: 1 quake of magnitude 1.0
• Furnas: 1 quake of magnitude 2.0

Real-time earthquake information is available through resources like VolcanoDiscovery’s earthquake tracker, which provides updates on seismic events worldwide.

Volcanic Activity Updates

Several volcanoes are exhibiting ongoing activity as of February 18, 2026:

• Mayon Volcano (Philippines): Continuing lava flows have been observed. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from February 17 confirmed multiple lava flows emerging from the summit cone. [VolcanoDiscovery]
• Semeru Volcano: Activity reported.
• Ibu Volcano: Activity reported.
• Reventador Volcano: Activity reported.
• Sangay Volcano: Activity reported.

Earthquakes are frequently associated with volcanic eruptions, sometimes preceding them by hours or months. Monitoring seismic activity near volcanoes is crucial for eruption forecasting [VolcanoDiscovery].

Resources for Monitoring Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Several resources provide real-time information on earthquakes and volcanic activity:

• VolcanoDiscovery: https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/
• Earthquakes Today: https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/today.html

The “Volcanoes & Earthquakes” application is available for download on both Android and iOS platforms, offering fast seismic and volcanic alerts.

Disclaimer: This information is based on reports available as of February 18, 2026, and is subject to change. Always refer to official sources for the most up-to-date information.