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M6.3 Earthquake near 204 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

UTC time: 2026-10-20 04:20:38 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M6.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

204 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

Map

M6.3 Earthquake near 204 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 2026-10-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.3 Earthquake near 204 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 2026-10-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 20, 2026 at 04:20 UTC, a magnitude M6.3 earthquake occurred near 204 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
59a884027c0cdce0de0f163e6acb8cd3283ce626
Magnitude
M6.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-20 04:20:38 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-14.02780, 165.48420
Temperature
26.0°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
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 Australia Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 49 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila512.6 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Suretamatai
    Distance: 216 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 921 m ·Last eruption: 1966 ·Vanuatu
  • Gaua
    Distance: 221 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Motlav
    Distance: 239 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 411 m ·Vanuatu
  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 295 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 376 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Tinakula
    Distance: 406 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 796 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Solomon Islands

Comparison of seismic sources

6 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.7 to M6.6.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM6.610.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM6.210.0 km9.3 km
GFZM6.210.0 km9.1 km
INGVM6.413.1 km21.4 km
SCEDCM6.316.0 km19.0 km
RESIFM5.710.0 km27.8 km

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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#11
Earlier events M≥4179
Earlier events M≥580
Compared since2025-01-04

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.32026-03-30 08:44:10 UTC236.5 kmVANUATU M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC244.3 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 251.1) from Quartzsite, AZ M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC249.8 kmVanuatu Islands M7.22026-03-30 08:44:09 UTC249.3 km27 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu M7.02026-03-30 08:44:07 UTC246.4 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
614
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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