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M5.3 Earthquake near Offshore Vanuatu

UTC time: 2026-10-24 03:05:48 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
26.7 km
Source
GA

Offshore Vanuatu

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Offshore Vanuatu · 2026-10-24 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near Offshore Vanuatu · 2026-10-24 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Offshore Vanuatu on October 24, 2026 at 03:05 UTC. With a focal depth of about 27 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by Geoscience Australia.

Details

ID
0d764e151d25dd3fc672a599e84d99a2a90d8bf4
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
26.7 km
UTC time
2026-10-24 03:05:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
ga
Coordinates
-13.90779, 165.74812
Temperature
26.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 26.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 26.7 km
Shallow
26.7 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 Vila506.5 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Suretamatai
    Distance: 186 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 921 m ·Last eruption: 1966 ·Vanuatu
  • Gaua
    Distance: 195 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Motlav
    Distance: 209 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 411 m ·Vanuatu
  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 278 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 364 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Tinakula
    Distance: 392 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Solomon Islands

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours23
First 24 hours37
First 72 hours43
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.32026-10-24 03:08:44 UTC31.9 kmVanuatu Islands M5.52026-10-24 03:14:54 UTC22.9 kmVanuatu Islands M5.32026-10-24 03:17:54 UTC22.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.02026-10-24 03:51:34 UTC12.2 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72026-10-24 04:05:36 UTC20.0 km205 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu M5.82026-10-24 04:12:05 UTC16.4 km203 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu M5.32026-10-24 04:19:38 UTC28.9 kmVANUATU M5.02026-10-24 04:44:45 UTC31.7 km161 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu M5.02026-10-24 04:49:20 UTC17.2 kmVanuatu Islands M4.82026-10-24 05:10:34 UTC45.7 kmVANUATU M5.82026-10-24 05:23:41 UTC20.2 km182 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu M4.52026-10-24 05:35:54 UTC7.9 kmVANUATU

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#24
Earlier events M≥462
Earlier events M≥541
Compared since2025-01-26

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.22026-10-24 02:31:53 UTC13.1 km200 km W of Sola, Vanuatu M6.62026-10-20 04:20:37 UTC5.7 km195 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC143.0 kmSanma M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC143.0 kmSanma M6.32026-10-24 02:36:01 UTC35.1 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
717
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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