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M6.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.0 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2026-05-19 02:29:24 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On May 19, 2026 at 02:29 UTC, a magnitude M6.0 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu Islands. 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 are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M6.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-19 02:29:24 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-18.16000, 168.12000
Temperature
27.0°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 Vila51.4 kmNE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 82 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 135 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 154 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 167 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 185 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 207 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours5
First 72 hours7
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.92026-05-19 02:29:26 UTC11.3 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu] M5.42026-05-19 02:29:30 UTC11.8 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near Nouméa (Monde) M4.82026-05-19 14:18:39 UTC37.8 kmPort Vila M4.82026-05-19 14:18:40 UTC34.7 kmPort Vila M4.72026-05-19 14:18:41 UTC42.9 kmPort Vila M4.82026-05-20 16:53:34 UTC195.0 kmTafea M4.82026-05-20 16:53:36 UTC229.3 kmTafea M4.82026-05-28 09:41:10 UTC193.9 kmVanuatu Islands M4.72026-05-28 09:41:10 UTC210.4 km M4.92026-05-31 02:47:57 UTC93.8 kmVanuatu Islands M5.02026-05-31 02:48:01 UTC97.0 km M5.02026-06-11 21:32:47 UTC133.0 kmTafea

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥4167
Earlier events M≥575
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC128.5 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 247.2) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC130.7 kmVanuatu Islands M5.92025-05-11 11:22:21 UTC54.6 km M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC77.7 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC57.9 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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