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M6.8 Earthquake near Vanuatu region

UTC time: 2025-09-08 21:47:49 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 ↗

Magnitude
M6.8
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

Vanuatu region

Map

M6.8 Earthquake near Vanuatu region · 2025-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M6.8 Earthquake near Vanuatu region · 2025-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M6.8 earthquake was recorded near Vanuatu region on September 8, 2025 at 21:47 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
6c9eae9b18c54b4edbff6436ed4f2b625890ac64
Magnitude
M6.8
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-09-08 21:47:49 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-21.08700, 173.79900
Temperature
20.8°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
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
Sigatoka507.9 kmNE17'622

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 232 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 291 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 381 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 486 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Nabukelevu
    Distance: 489 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 791 m ·Last eruption: 1660 ·Fiji

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours5
First 24 hours5
First 72 hours5
Strongest subsequent eventM6.8
M6.02025-09-08 21:47:50 UTC12.7 kmVanuatu Islands Region M6.42025-09-08 21:47:50 UTC12.4 kmVANUATU REGION M5.52025-09-08 21:47:52 UTC8.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) M6.22025-09-08 21:47:53 UTC34.1 kmFiji [Sea] M6.82025-09-08 21:47:54 UTC1.4 kmVanuatu region M5.62025-10-06 12:08:40 UTC182.6 kmsouth of the Fiji Islands M5.62025-10-06 12:08:42 UTC175.4 kmSouth of Fiji Islands M5.22025-10-06 12:08:42 UTC170.7 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.62025-10-06 12:08:42 UTC178.5 kmSOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS M5.62025-10-06 12:08:43 UTC182.6 kmsouth of the Fiji Islands

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 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥411
Earlier events M≥55
Compared since2025-01-25

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.42025-09-08 21:47:48 UTC12.5 kmVanuatu region M5.62025-08-22 12:55:31 UTC215.1 km M5.22025-08-22 12:52:23 UTC215.1 km M5.22025-03-20 19:36:03 UTC238.8 kmsoutheast of the Loyalty Islands M5.02025-06-12 13:42:37 UTC153.2 kmVanuatu Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
512
Country (24h)
—
—
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