M5.0 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2026-05-16 15:35:25 UTC Local time: —

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 ↗

Magnitude

M5.0

Depth: 49.0 km
Source: GFZ

Vanuatu Islands

Map

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Vanuatu Islands on May 16, 2026 at 15:35 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 49 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

62bbaf2c23df09fa9dc2d7e890dd5b1af85f3337

Magnitude

M5.0

Depth

49.0 km

UTC time

2026-05-16 15:35:25 UTC

Local time

—

Country

—

Source

gfz

Coordinates

-17.78000, 168.99000

Temperature

26.4°C

Depth profile

Shallow

49 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 Vila71.8 kmW35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Nguna-Emau

Distance: 77 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
Traitor's Head

Distance: 111 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
Kuwae

Distance: 117 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
East Epi

Distance: 138 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
Lopevi

Distance: 157 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
Ambrym

Distance: 194 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
71.5 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-08

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 hours2

First 24 hours2

First 72 hours9

Strongest subsequent eventM6.0

M5.42026-05-16 15:58:04 UTC22.1 kmVANUATU M5.32026-05-16 15:58:05 UTC28.3 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72026-05-19 02:29:23 UTC103.5 km51 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M6.02026-05-19 02:29:24 UTC101.3 kmVanuatu Islands M5.92026-05-19 02:29:26 UTC108.0 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu] M5.42026-05-19 02:29:30 UTC112.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near Nouméa (Monde) M4.82026-05-19 14:18:39 UTC77.8 kmPort Vila M4.82026-05-19 14:18:40 UTC82.3 kmPort Vila M4.72026-05-19 14:18:41 UTC70.1 kmPort Vila M4.92026-05-31 02:47:57 UTC120.1 kmVanuatu Islands M5.02026-05-31 02:48:01 UTC139.3 kmVANUATU M5.02026-06-11 21:32:47 UTC131.9 kmTafea

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#27

Earlier events M≥498

Earlier events M≥539

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 UTC74.8 kmVANUATU M5.92025-02-10 00:09:43 UTC133.9 km65 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC122.1 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC104.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC147.0 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu]

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)

584

Country (24h)

—

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