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M5.0 Earthquake near 87 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu

UTC time: 2026-08-20 00:20:25 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.

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
72.9 km
Source
USGS

87 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near 87 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near 87 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 2026-08-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 20, 2026 at 00:20 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near 87 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 73 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

ID
60a835a873a4e7da9431271d4acb43a04ff07dac
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
72.9 km
UTC time
2026-08-20 00:20:25 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-20.32400, 169.15140
Temperature
21.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 72.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 72.9 km
Intermediate
72.9 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 76 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila300.9 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 124 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 175 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 317 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 330 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 379 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

  • Whitegrass AirportVanuatu · TAH · NVVW
    96.9 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 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.8
M5.02026-08-28 08:32:35 UTC148.4 kmVANUATU M5.02026-09-01 18:37:29 UTC68.7 km118 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.82026-09-02 21:22:05 UTC7.3 kmVanuatu Islands M4.82026-09-03 13:47:10 UTC26.3 km65 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.62026-09-05 17:02:12 UTC119.8 kmTafea M4.72026-09-05 21:06:01 UTC109.4 kmTafea M5.12026-09-08 00:52:02 UTC116.3 kmTafea M5.22026-09-09 17:01:52 UTC100.1 kmTafea M4.82026-09-09 19:15:11 UTC115.1 kmTafea M4.72026-09-09 20:21:13 UTC91.9 kmVANUATU M4.92026-09-13 19:41:43 UTC35.9 kmLOYALTY ISLANDS

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.0.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
RESIFM5.010.0 km46.0 km
EMSCM5.072.9 km0.0 km
USGSM5.072.9 km0.0 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 150 km.

Magnitude rank#40
Earlier events M≥496
Earlier events M≥552
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12026-07-08 09:50:28 UTC51.0 kmVanuatu [Sea] M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC141.5 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 247.2) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC135.8 kmVanuatu Islands M6.12026-03-20 02:30:32 UTC145.2 km105 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC133.5 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
595
Country (24h)
—
—
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