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M5.6 Depth: 304.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2025-08-22 12:53:02 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On August 22, 2025 at 12:53 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu Islands. The deep hypocenter at about 304 km dampens the shaking felt at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
304.0 km
UTC time
2025-08-22 12:53:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-17.49000, 168.90000
Temperature
24.5°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 304 km (Deep) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 304 km
Deep
304 km
Why depth matters

Deep quakes are felt over very large areas but rarely cause surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila67.9 kmSW35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 58 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 84 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 124 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 145 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym
    Distance: 161 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥469
Earlier events M≥524
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.92025-05-11 11:22:21 UTC68.7 km M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC108.6 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC96.0 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62025-08-22 12:52:56 UTC24.4 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu] M5.62025-07-13 06:16:52 UTC107.5 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
668
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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