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Vanuatu · Tafea

M4.7 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-09-05 21:06:01 UTC Local time: —
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Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.7 earthquake was recorded near Tafea (Vanuatu) on September 5, 2026 at 21:06 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by USGS. Vanuatu: 3 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.9.

Details

ID
2a0403ab2d042479afce3f987d00f8d783177203
Magnitude
M4.7
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-05 21:06:01 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Tafea
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-19.91400, 170.10400
Temperature
22.2°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 (103.8 km)
Regional average: 103.8 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

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 185 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 81 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 116 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 158 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 297 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 330 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 342 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Futuna AirportVanuatu · FTA · NVVF
    46.2 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-06

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

06 Sep 2025 – 06 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 88 Catalogue entries

Of 87 other entries for this area and period, 64 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

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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