M5.3 Earthquake 7 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu — January 4, 2025
2025-01-04 22:23:37 UTC (2025-01-04) · approx. 9:23 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On January 4, 2025 at 22:23 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu, at a depth of 36.9 km and coordinates -16.1014°, 167.4828°. This earthquake was detected by 76 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Vanuatu, a region characterized by the New Hebrides subduction zone, where the Australian Plate subducts eastward at approximately 90 mm per year. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
167.4828°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Lakatoro, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 7 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on January 4, 2025 at 22:23 UTC had a depth of 36.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -16.1014°, 167.4828°, which is 7 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Vanuatu had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Vanuatu was the M7.9 Vanuatu earthquake of October 7, 2009. Today's magnitude 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000phws). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 4, 2025). M5.3 Earthquake 7 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu — January 4, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000phws/