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Vanuatu · Shefa

M4.8 Earthquake near Port Vila, Shefa (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-05-19 14:18:39 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

A magnitude M4.8 earthquake was recorded near Port Vila, Shefa (Vanuatu) on May 19, 2026 at 14:18 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 62 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
afa2142804729f77fe8f8f6ac05a3842f163f08f
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
62.1 km
UTC time
2026-05-19 14:18:39 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Shefa
City
Port Vila
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-17.84720, 168.25880
Temperature
26.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 62.1 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 62.1 km
Shallow
62.1 km
62.1 km — shallower than the regional average (92.2 km)
Regional average: 92.2 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 45 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 116 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 144 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 178 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Bauerfield International AirportVanuatu · VLI · NVVV
    17.7 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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