M4.6 Earthquake 5 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — May 16, 2025
2025-05-16 14:57:03 UTC (2025-05-16) · approx. 1:57 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On May 16, 2025 at 14:57 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 5 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu, at a depth of 63.4 km and coordinates -17.7780°, 168.2859°. This earthquake was detected by 102 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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
168.2859°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Port-Vila, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 5 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on May 16, 2025 at 14:57 UTC had a depth of 63.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -17.7780°, 168.2859°, which is 5 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pzkb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 16, 2025). M4.6 Earthquake 5 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu — May 16, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pzkb/