M5.0 Earthquake 39 km NNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — January 15, 2025
2025-01-15 07:32:20 UTC (2025-01-15) · approx. 6:32 PM UTC+11 local
Felt by 12 people across nearby locations.
On January 15, 2025 at 07:32 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 39 km NNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu, at a depth of 74.9 km and coordinates -17.3939°, 168.2086°. This earthquake was detected by 80 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 389, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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 12 citizen responses 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
168.2086°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Port-Vila, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 39 km NNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on January 15, 2025 at 07:32 UTC had a depth of 74.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -17.3939°, 168.2086°, which is 39 km NNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pk3x). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 15, 2025). M5.0 Earthquake 39 km NNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — January 15, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pk3x/