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M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2025-05-11 17:38:27 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Vanuatu Islands on May 11, 2025 at 17:38 UTC. 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 can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-05-11 17:38:27 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-17.69000, 169.19000
Temperature
26.4°C

Map

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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila93.0 kmW35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 118 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 119 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 159 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym
    Distance: 196 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#8
Earlier events M≥437
Earlier events M≥510
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 UTC95.4 km M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC140.9 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC125.1 kmVanuatu Islands M5.32025-02-10 00:13:44 UTC146.1 km57 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.32025-01-26 06:13:38 UTC116.8 km24 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
659
Country (24h)
—
—
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