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Vanuatu · Sanma

M5.0 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-02-18 00:45:37 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu) · 2026-02-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu) · 2026-02-18 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On February 18, 2026 at 00:45 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Sanma (Vanuatu). With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
096b17b3c589c99b1f72c816f232beab595bf465
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-02-18 00:45:37 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Sanma
City
Sanma
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-14.74480, 166.74540
Temperature
28.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (93.6 km)
Regional average: 93.6 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila372.4 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Gaua
    Distance: 97 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Suretamatai
    Distance: 131 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 921 m ·Last eruption: 1966 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 137 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Motlav
    Distance: 156 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 411 m ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 223 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 260 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • North West Santo AirportVanuatu · OLJ · NVSZ
    25.3 kmStraight-line distance
  • Santo Pekoa International AirportVanuatu · SON · NVSS
    98.7 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Vanuatu

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 85 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#33
Earlier events M≥482
Earlier events M≥538
Compared since2025-01-04

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC22.6 kmSanma M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC22.6 kmSanma M5.92025-05-28 08:57:48 UTC78.0 km52 km SW of Sola, Vanuatu M5.92025-05-28 08:57:48 UTC85.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.92025-05-28 08:57:47 UTC87.2 kmVANUATU

Historic earthquake map · Vanuatu

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Vanuatu

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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