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Vanuatu · Shefa

M4.8 Earthquake near Shefa (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-01-07 00:27:52 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.

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About this earthquake

On January 7, 2026 at 00:27 UTC, a magnitude M4.8 earthquake occurred near Shefa (Vanuatu). At around 254 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
6de44125e5b34aeeab70aecee44c2414538a7858
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
253.9 km
UTC time
2026-01-07 00:27:52 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Shefa
City
Shefa
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-17.13030, 168.68380
Temperature
28.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 253.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 253.9 km
Intermediate
253.9 km
253.9 km — deeper than the regional average (92.2 km)
Regional average: 92.2 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kuwae
    Distance: 37 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 50 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 59 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 78 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 115 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 190 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Tongoa AirportVanuatu · TGH · NVST
    30.1 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

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

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.

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