Seismic Activity in Vanuatu
Over the past 30 days, there have been 13 recorded earthquakes in this region. The largest recent earthquake was a magnitude 5.2 event near 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu.
Earthquakes in Vanuatu
0 earthquakes in the last 24 hours• Latest significant: M5.2
Earthquake Map
Recent Earthquakes (Last 30 Days)
Dataset at a glance — Vanuatu
Over the past 30 days, Vanuatu has recorded 13 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in our tracker. 2 reached magnitude 5.0 or higher. 11 landed between M4.0 and M4.9. By depth: 7 shallow (<70 km), 5 intermediate (70–300 km), 1 deep-focus (>300 km). 5 of the epicenters were offshore. Focal depths ranged from 10.0 km to 614.1 km. All 13 solutions have been reviewed by a USGS seismologist.
Each row in the table below includes a narrative summary of the event, ordered by time. Use the column headers to sort or filter by magnitude.
Showing 13 of 13
| Time ↓ | Mag ↕ | Location ↕ | Depth ↕ | Felt ↕ | MMI | Alert | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 days ago 2026-09-29 11:27:48 UTC | 4.8mb | 98 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu -18.231°, 167.545° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 29, 2026, Vanuatu registered a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 98 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu at 11:27 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.8 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-20 2026-09-20 22:51:20 UTC | 5.0mb | 201 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands -12.442°, 166.403° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded 201 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands on September 20, 2026 at 22:51 UTC. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-19 2026-09-19 08:47:44 UTC | 4.8mb | 152 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands -12.088°, 165.979° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 08:47 UTC on September 19, 2026, a magnitude 4.8 tremor occurred 152 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands. The event was offshore. See the M4.8 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-18 2026-09-18 13:57:59 UTC | 4.6mb | 94 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu -13.181°, 167.042° | 226.8 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.6 seismic event took place 94 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu on September 18, 2026 at 13:57 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-17 2026-09-17 19:07:28 UTC | 4.2mb | 44 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu -15.380°, 167.551° | 116.8 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake was recorded 44 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu on September 17, 2026 at 19:07 UTC. See the M4.2 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-17 2026-09-17 06:32:08 UTC | 4.7mb | 59 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu -16.608°, 167.594° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
This magnitude 4.7 event was detected 59 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on September 17, 2026, with origin time 06:32 UTC. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-16 2026-09-16 09:41:47 UTC | 4.7mb | 6 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu -15.066°, 167.016° | 60.7 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Reports of a magnitude 4.7 earthquake 6 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu came in on September 16, 2026 at 09:41 UTC. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-13 2026-09-13 07:19:23 UTC | 5.2mww | 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu -15.280°, 167.382° | 154.1 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 13, 2026 at 07:19 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu. It is the largest earthquake currently listed for Vanuatu over the past 30 days. See the M5.2 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-12 2026-09-12 15:56:08 UTC | 4.5mb | 39 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu -14.712°, 167.215° | 174.8 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
September 12, 2026 brought a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 39 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, logged at 15:56 UTC. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-12 2026-09-12 09:35:49 UTC | 4.8mb | 124 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu -13.412°, 166.499° | 43.2 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
The USGS recorded this magnitude 4.8 earthquake 124 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu at 09:35 UTC on September 12, 2026. See the M4.8 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-10 2026-09-10 22:54:14 UTC | 4.9mb | 65 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu -13.325°, 167.332° | 49.9 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.9 earthquake 65 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu with origin time 22:54 UTC on September 10, 2026. See the M4.9 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-09 2026-09-09 19:14:23 UTC | 4.2mb | 277 km ESE of Sola, Vanuatu -14.490°, 170.045° | 614.1 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.2 earthquake 277 km ESE of Sola, Vanuatu with origin time 19:14 UTC on September 9, 2026. This is the deepest earthquake in the current dataset — a deep-focus event. See the M4.2 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-09-05 2026-09-05 12:55:05 UTC | 4.4mb | 68 km N of Port-Olry, Vanuatu -14.430°, 167.166° | 174.9 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On September 5, 2026 at 12:55 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck 68 km N of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. The event was offshore. See the M4.4 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
Legend:
Mag: Magnitude (magType = ml, mb, mw, etc.)
Felt: Number of DYFI felt reports
MMI: Modified Mercalli Intensity (I-X+)
Alert: PAGER alert level
Depth: Shallow (<70km), Intermediate, Deep (>300km)
Status: Auto = preliminary, Reviewed = verified by seismologist
Click any row to see additional technical details.
Earthquake Statistics
Last 24 Hours0
Last 30 Days13
2026 (M2.5+)185
Largest (30 Days)
M5.2
35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu
2026-09-13
Largest in 2026
M7.3
51 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu
2026-03-30
Data from USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Updated every 5 minutes.
About Vanuatu
Vanuatu lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire with the Australian Plate subducting beneath the Pacific Plate, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Vanuatu Earthquakes 2026
In 2026, Vanuatu has recorded 185 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater so far. The largest earthquake in Vanuatu in 2026 was a magnitude 7.3 event near Luganville, Vanuatu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many earthquakes occur in Vanuatu?
In the past 30 days, 13 earthquakes have been recorded in the Vanuatu region.
What was the biggest recent earthquake in Vanuatu?
The largest recent earthquake in the Vanuatu area was a magnitude 5.2 event that occurred 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu.
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