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Vanuatu · Penama

M6.6 Earthquake near Atavtabanga, Penama (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-10-08 09:00:08 UTC Local time: —

Map

M6.6 Earthquake near Atavtabanga, Penama (Vanuatu) · 2026-10-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.6 Earthquake near Atavtabanga, Penama (Vanuatu) · 2026-10-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 8, 2026 at 09:00 UTC, a magnitude M6.6 earthquake occurred near Atavtabanga, Penama (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
696de81127faad9d274f64334f4287b7cca666a4
Magnitude
M6.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-08 09:00:08 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Penama
City
Atavtabanga
Village
Atavtabanga
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-15.48400, 168.17700
Temperature
26.3°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 (94.9 km)
Regional average: 94.9 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 38'448
V 21'717
VI 6'333
VII 8'377

≈ 15'013 people experienced strong to very strong shaking.

4 Felt reports · max reported intensity 7

Ground shaking

VIII
Severe · Intensity (MMI) VIII
Considerable damage possible.

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 200 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila250.9 kmS35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 38 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 85 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 115 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 135 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Gaua
    Distance: 152 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 154 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Sara AirportVanuatu · SSR · NVSH
    3.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • Longana AirportVanuatu · LOD · NVSG
    29.9 kmStraight-line distance
  • Lonorore AirportVanuatu · LNE · NVSO
    42.4 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

Comparison of seismic sources

6 sources currently report magnitudes from M6.2 to M6.6.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
SCEDCM6.310.0 km6.5 km
USGSM6.610.0 km0.0 km
GFZM6.210.0 km16.5 km
INGVM6.319.9 km11.7 km
EMSCM6.235.0 km24.3 km
RESIFM6.410.0 km28.6 km

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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#10
Earlier events M≥4206
Earlier events M≥598
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.32026-03-30 08:44:13 UTC68.6 km48 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu M7.32026-03-30 08:44:10 UTC95.0 kmVANUATU M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC85.9 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 251.1) from Quartzsite, AZ M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC78.1 kmVanuatu Islands M7.32026-03-30 08:44:08 UTC77.2 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.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
544
Country (24h)
Vanuatu
1
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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