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M6.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.1 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On March 20, 2026 at 02:30 UTC, a magnitude M6.1 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu Islands. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can cause significant damage in populated areas.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M6.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-19.29000, 168.46000
Temperature
27.5°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 Vila173.4 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 101 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 107 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 205 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 254 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 274 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 290 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.6
M5.52026-03-20 02:30:34 UTC9.5 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) M4.42026-03-20 10:12:11 UTC12.9 kmVanuatu Islands M4.62026-03-20 19:55:20 UTC14.0 km M4.92026-03-23 03:48:05 UTC54.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62026-04-02 23:22:13 UTC119.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.22026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC109.0 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.42026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC115.8 km M5.62026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC111.8 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu] M5.12026-04-08 00:11:27 UTC245.1 km M5.02026-04-08 00:11:37 UTC245.0 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥4156
Earlier events M≥569
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 UTC178.1 km M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC208.3 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC188.4 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC36.7 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.62025-08-22 12:53:02 UTC205.5 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
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