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Vanuatu · Penama

M4.8 Earthquake near Penama (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-10-17 08:59:52 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On October 17, 2026 at 08:59 UTC, a magnitude M4.8 earthquake occurred near Penama (Vanuatu). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Vanuatu: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

ID
3de920c4361e10bd0b981b38b685875d2b9a411b
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-17 08:59:52 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Penama
City
Penama
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-15.51170, 168.25160
Temperature
25.2°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 (92.6 km)
Regional average: 92.6 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

Estimated impact

1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.4

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 206 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 47 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 83 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 111 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 149 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • Gaua
    Distance: 158 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Sara AirportVanuatu · SSR · NVSH
    11.6 kmStraight-line distance
  • Longana AirportVanuatu · LOD · NVSG
    38.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • Lonorore AirportVanuatu · LNE · NVSO
    40.3 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

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

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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