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Vanuatu · Tafea

M5.6 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-09-05 17:02:12 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. How our reports are produced ↗

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu) · 2026-09-05 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu) · 2026-09-05 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On September 5, 2026 at 17:02 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Tafea (Vanuatu). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Vanuatu: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 4 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.9.

Details

ID
5abb5c74af1b40ad6b6b4893de02a6b928bcf83c
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-05 17:02:12 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Tafea
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-19.80700, 170.15760
Temperature
22.4°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 (103.8 km)
Regional average: 103.8 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

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 22'840

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 195 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila293.0 kmNW35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 80 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 128 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 152 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 305 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 324 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 349 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Futuna AirportVanuatu · FTA · NVVF
    33.2 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-06

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.4 to M5.9.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM5.610.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.910.0 km8.8 km
RESIFM5.410.0 km9.3 km
EMSCM5.944.0 km12.0 km
INGVM5.968.0 km33.3 km

Vanuatu

Context for this earthquake

06 Sep 2025 – 06 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 88 Catalogue entries

Of 87 other entries for this area and period, 5 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥457
Earlier events M≥533
Compared since2025-01-21

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.82026-09-02 21:22:11 UTC88.0 kmTafea M5.72026-01-05 00:42:28 UTC93.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC104.7 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu] M5.62026-04-02 23:22:13 UTC112.1 kmVanuatu Islands M5.52025-12-18 01:59:32 UTC130.0 kmVanuatu Islands

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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