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M5.2 Earthquake near 157 km W of Sola, Vanuatu

UTC time: 2026-10-15 13:06:52 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

157 km W of Sola, Vanuatu

Map

M5.2 Earthquake near 157 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 2026-10-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.2 Earthquake near 157 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 2026-10-15 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.2 earthquake was recorded near 157 km W of Sola, Vanuatu on October 15, 2026 at 13:06 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 USGS.

Details

ID
7fae0ae46304a0c136b32b233313bb067f0d0439
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-10-15 13:06:52 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-13.88780, 166.09210
Temperature
25.4°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

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 9 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila487.1 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Suretamatai
    Distance: 149 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 921 m ·Last eruption: 1966 ·Vanuatu
  • Gaua
    Distance: 159 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 729 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Vanuatu
  • Motlav
    Distance: 172 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 411 m ·Vanuatu
  • Ambae Activity reported
    Distance: 251 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'496 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 341 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 379 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.2.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM4.910.0 km7.6 km
USGSM5.210.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.237.0 km3.2 km

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 150 km.

Magnitude rank#27
Earlier events M≥478
Earlier events M≥543
Compared since2025-01-26

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC122.0 kmSanma M6.42026-02-14 02:27:37 UTC122.0 kmSanma M6.12026-08-16 03:20:24 UTC138.4 kmSanma M6.02026-07-24 21:37:56 UTC77.9 kmTorba M5.92025-05-28 08:57:48 UTC134.1 km52 km SW of Sola, Vanuatu

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
559
Country (24h)
—
—
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