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Vanuatu · Sanma

M5.5 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-10-24 06:43:10 UTC Local time: —

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu) · 2026-10-24 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near Sanma (Vanuatu) · 2026-10-24 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 24, 2026 at 06:43 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near Sanma (Vanuatu). At around 195 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Vanuatu: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.5.

Details

ID
22f3b8905dc4be95a47d65be0c89bc6328917242
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
194.6 km
UTC time
2026-10-24 06:43:10 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Sanma
City
Sanma
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-14.59180, 167.30630
Temperature
26.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 194.6 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 194.6 km
Intermediate
194.6 km
194.6 km — deeper than the regional average (92.6 km)
Regional average: 92.6 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Pacific · about 106 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila367.7 kmS35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Gaua
    Distance: 41 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Suretamatai
    Distance: 90 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 921 m ·Last eruption: 1966 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 105 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Motlav
    Distance: 110 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 411 m ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 204 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 240 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Sola AirportVanuatu · SLH · NVSC
    86.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • North West Santo AirportVanuatu · OLJ · NVSZ
    86.7 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

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.2 to M5.5.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.2164.5 km5.1 km
GFZM5.2163.0 km3.9 km
USGSM5.5194.6 km0.0 km

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#43
Earlier events M≥4148
Earlier events M≥578
Compared since2025-01-04

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.32026-03-30 08:44:13 UTC87.0 km48 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu M7.32026-03-30 08:44:10 UTC77.9 kmVANUATU M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC80.3 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 251.1) from Quartzsite, AZ M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC80.4 kmVanuatu Islands M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC83.6 kmVanuatu Islands

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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