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Vanuatu

M5.3 Earthquake near 45 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2025-07-13 06:16:50 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.

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 45 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu (Vanuatu) · 2025-07-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 45 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu (Vanuatu) · 2025-07-13 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near 45 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu (Vanuatu) on July 13, 2025 at 06:16 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
54492526e20ce07b37e6d07b865ecfa2ea208b81
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-07-13 06:16:50 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
City
Shefa
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-18.14280, 168.36590
Temperature
23.6°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 (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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila45.5 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 77 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 147 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 182 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 192 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Bauerfield International AirportVanuatu · VLI · NVVV
    49.6 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 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.6
M5.62025-07-13 06:16:52 UTC25.1 kmVanuatu Islands M4.92025-07-17 00:36:33 UTC125.4 kmVANUATU REGION M4.92025-07-28 15:05:05 UTC67.6 km87 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.12025-07-28 15:05:08 UTC82.3 kmVanuatu Islands M4.92025-07-28 15:05:08 UTC82.0 kmVANUATU M4.72025-08-06 08:08:25 UTC26.6 kmVanuatu Islands M4.62025-08-06 08:08:26 UTC26.5 kmVANUATU M4.62025-08-06 08:08:28 UTC38.2 km57 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M4.62025-08-10 01:24:28 UTC86.5 kmVANUATU M4.72025-08-11 12:14:17 UTC38.7 kmVANUATU M4.82025-08-11 12:14:20 UTC44.0 kmVanuatu Islands

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#6
Earlier events M≥464
Earlier events M≥522
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 UTC50.3 kmVANUATU M5.92025-02-10 00:09:43 UTC98.7 km65 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC88.2 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC66.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC122.9 km66 km NW of Isangel, 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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