Seismic Activity in Vanuatu
Over the past 30 days, there have been 14 recorded earthquakes in this region. The largest recent earthquake was a magnitude 6.1 event near 56 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu.
Earthquakes in Vanuatu
0 earthquakes in the last 24 hours• Latest significant: M6.1
Earthquake Map
Recent Earthquakes (Last 30 Days)
Dataset at a glance — Vanuatu
Over the past 30 days, Vanuatu has recorded 14 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater in our tracker. 5 reached magnitude 5.0 or higher. 9 landed between M4.0 and M4.9. By depth: 6 shallow (<70 km), 5 intermediate (70–300 km), 3 deep-focus (>300 km). 7 of the epicenters were offshore. 2 events produced at least one felt report, totalling 4 citizen submissions to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Focal depths ranged from 10.0 km to 655.7 km. All 14 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 14 of 14
| Time ↓ | Mag ↕ | Location ↕ | Depth ↕ | Felt ↕ | MMI | Alert | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 days ago 2026-08-16 03:20:24 UTC | 6.1mww | 56 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu -14.547°, 167.193° | 188.1 km | 1 | III | green | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On August 16, 2026 at 03:20 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 56 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. The USGS PAGER system assigned a green alert level for this event, signalling no significant casualties or damage expected. It is the largest earthquake currently listed for Vanuatu over the past 30 days. See the M6.1 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
4 days ago 2026-08-14 18:33:25 UTC | 4.5mb | 165 km N of Sola, Vanuatu -12.380°, 167.480° | 369.3 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake was recorded 165 km N of Sola, Vanuatu on August 14, 2026 at 18:33 UTC. This deep-focus earthquake originated far below the brittle crust, deep inside the mantle. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-08-10 2026-08-10 12:46:10 UTC | 4.8mb | 173 km ENE of Sola, Vanuatu -13.019°, 168.892° | 655.7 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Reports of a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 173 km ENE of Sola, Vanuatu came in on August 10, 2026 at 12:46 UTC. This is the deepest earthquake in the current dataset — a deep-focus event. See the M4.8 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-08-10 2026-08-10 11:50:25 UTC | 4.7mb | 180 km NE of Sola, Vanuatu -12.892°, 168.882° | 640.5 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 4.7 seismic event took place 180 km NE of Sola, Vanuatu on August 10, 2026 at 11:50 UTC. This deep-focus earthquake originated far below the brittle crust, deep inside the mantle. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-08-09 2026-08-09 07:05:28 UTC | 4.4mb | 71 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu -13.298°, 167.261° | 200.9 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On August 9, 2026, Vanuatu registered a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 71 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu at 07:05 UTC. See the M4.4 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-27 2026-07-27 20:10:01 UTC | 5.0mb | 97 km SE of Sola, Vanuatu -14.583°, 168.097° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On July 27, 2026, Vanuatu registered a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 97 km SE of Sola, Vanuatu at 20:10 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-26 2026-07-26 12:39:55 UTC | 4.5mb | 63 km SE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu -18.199°, 168.668° | 102.4 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 63 km SE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu with origin time 12:39 UTC on July 26, 2026. The event was offshore. See the M4.5 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-24 2026-07-24 23:44:10 UTC | 5.0mb | 93 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu -14.314°, 166.626° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
At 23:44 UTC on July 24, 2026, a magnitude 5.0 tremor occurred 93 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. See the M5.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-24 2026-07-24 22:39:19 UTC | 4.9mb | 7 km S of Sola, Vanuatu -13.943°, 167.564° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
The USGS recorded this magnitude 4.9 earthquake 7 km S of Sola, Vanuatu at 22:39 UTC on July 24, 2026. The event was offshore. See the M4.9 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-24 2026-07-24 21:37:51 UTC | 6.0mww | 55 km W of Sola, Vanuatu -13.956°, 167.041° | 15.0 km | 3 | V | green | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake was recorded 55 km W of Sola, Vanuatu on July 24, 2026 at 21:37 UTC. The USGS PAGER system assigned a green alert level for this event, signalling no significant casualties or damage expected. The event was offshore. See the M6.0 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-24 2026-07-24 21:19:42 UTC | 5.1mww | 55 km WSW of Sola, Vanuatu -14.005°, 167.054° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
Seismographs logged a magnitude 5.1 earthquake 55 km WSW of Sola, Vanuatu with origin time 21:19 UTC on July 24, 2026. See the M5.1 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-24 2026-07-24 14:28:20 UTC | 4.7mb | 55 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu -15.609°, 167.667° | 153.5 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
July 24, 2026 brought a magnitude 4.7 earthquake 55 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu, logged at 14:28 UTC. The event was offshore. See the M4.7 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-23 2026-07-23 14:13:00 UTC | 4.6mb | 153 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands -11.970°, 166.418° | 198.5 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
On July 23, 2026 at 14:13 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 153 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands. See the M4.6 event page for the full report, ShakeMap, and citizen-reported intensity data. | ||||||||
2026-07-22 2026-07-22 21:42:50 UTC | 4.9mb | 97 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu -14.677°, 167.930° | 10.0 km | - | - | - | ✓ Reviewed | USGS → |
This magnitude 4.9 event was detected 97 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu on July 22, 2026, with origin time 21:42 UTC. See the M4.9 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 Days14
2026 (M2.5+)157
Largest (30 Days)
M6.1
56 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu
3 days ago
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 157 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, 14 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 6.1 event that occurred 56 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu.
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