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Vanuatu

M5.0 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2025-12-17 22:30:07 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

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M5.0 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu) · 2025-12-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near VANUATU (Vanuatu) · 2025-12-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On December 17, 2025 at 22:30 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near VANUATU (Vanuatu). At around 95 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
8f73dc05d1eea6b6eb53843a2c0def5576e7a117
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
95.1 km
UTC time
2025-12-17 22:30:07 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
City
Tafea
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-18.45970, 168.57120
Temperature
27.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 95.1 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 95.1 km
Intermediate
95.1 km
95.1 km — close to 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

Felt reports

1felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Dec 17, 2025, 10:51 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila84.9 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 78 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 114 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 151 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 181 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 199 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 218 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Bauerfield International AirportVanuatu · VLI · NVVV
    88.6 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2
M5.02025-12-17 22:30:13 UTC21.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.22026-01-01 21:35:02 UTC34.4 km107 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.12026-01-01 21:35:02 UTC29.0 kmVanuatu Islands M5.12026-01-06 23:10:37 UTC94.7 kmShefa M5.02026-01-06 23:10:38 UTC98.7 kmNatapao M4.82026-01-07 00:27:52 UTC148.3 kmShefa

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

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#28
Earlier events M≥4108
Earlier events M≥541
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 UTC90.0 kmVANUATU M5.92025-02-10 00:09:43 UTC139.7 km65 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC129.5 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC107.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC82.5 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu

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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