Back to map

M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2026-06-23 13:58:37 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.

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
38.0 km
Source
GFZ

Vanuatu Islands

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands · 2026-06-23 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands · 2026-06-23 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Vanuatu Islands on June 23, 2026 at 13:58 UTC. With a focal depth of about 38 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 data is provided by GFZ and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
3b5d7d54b3a86b96ddf793f6bd504c0b9cc42e5e
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
38.0 km
UTC time
2026-06-23 13:58:37 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-20.46000, 169.22000
Temperature
22.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 38 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 38 km
Shallow
38 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 75 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila317.5 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 110 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 190 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 301 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 347 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 364 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.8
M5.82026-07-08 09:50:23 UTC46.1 km91 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.22026-07-08 11:42:52 UTC56.7 km109 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu M4.92026-07-09 14:40:03 UTC38.7 kmLoyalty Islands M4.62026-07-09 16:01:20 UTC63.4 km131 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia M4.52026-07-10 13:55:33 UTC42.7 km123 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu M4.82026-07-21 19:29:18 UTC68.4 kmLOYALTY ISLANDS M4.42026-07-23 13:21:48 UTC47.0 km90 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu

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#12
Earlier events M≥469
Earlier events M≥539
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72025-03-28 01:20:03 UTC145.3 km M5.72026-01-05 00:42:28 UTC136.4 kmVanuatu Islands M5.52026-03-20 02:30:34 UTC144.8 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.52026-06-08 18:49:45 UTC101.5 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands M5.52026-04-15 07:59:41 UTC142.5 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
581
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share