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Vanuatu

M5.9 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2025-05-11 11:22:21 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.9 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu) · 2025-05-11 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.9 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu) · 2025-05-11 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near VANUATU (Vanuatu) on May 11, 2025 at 11:22 UTC. With a focal depth of about 60 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
512272db38be6865da99feea877c32f0598f8f11
Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
60.0 km
UTC time
2025-05-11 11:22:21 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
City
Shefa
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-17.69630, 168.28930
Temperature
23.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 60 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 60 km
Shallow
60 km
60 km — shallower than the regional average (93.6 km)
Regional average: 93.6 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

Felt reports

16felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: May 11, 2025, 12:16 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:16 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila5.2 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 28 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 99 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 162 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Bauerfield International AirportVanuatu · VLI · NVVV
    3.3 kmStraight-line distance
  • Tongoa AirportVanuatu · TGH · NVST
    93.7 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.0
M5.02025-05-11 17:38:27 UTC95.4 kmVanuatu Islands M4.72025-05-11 17:38:36 UTC25.1 kmVANUATU M4.62025-06-02 07:25:18 UTC57.2 kmVanuatu Islands M4.72025-06-02 07:25:22 UTC65.4 km62 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M4.72025-06-02 07:25:22 UTC66.3 kmVANUATU M4.82025-06-10 11:18:00 UTC32.7 kmVanuatu Islands M4.82025-06-10 11:18:02 UTC85.1 kmVANUATU

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#1
Earlier events M≥448
Earlier events M≥512
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.92025-02-10 00:09:43 UTC60.9 km65 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC48.9 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC30.0 kmVanuatu Islands M5.32025-02-10 00:13:44 UTC53.3 km57 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.32025-01-26 06:13:38 UTC21.4 km24 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

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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