M4.9 Earthquake 38 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — April 20, 2025
2025-04-20 17:45:59 UTC (2025-04-20) · approx. 4:45 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 31 people across nearby locations.
On April 20, 2025 at 17:45 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 38 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu, at a depth of 46.4 km and coordinates -17.5556°, 168.0066°. This earthquake was detected by 62 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 383, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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 31 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
168.0066°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Port-Vila, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 38 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on April 20, 2025 at 17:45 UTC had a depth of 46.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -17.5556°, 168.0066°, which is 38 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000q7eu). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, April 20, 2025). M4.9 Earthquake 38 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — April 20, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000q7eu/