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Vanuatu · Tafea

M5.1 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-09-08 00:52:02 UTC Local time: —
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First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

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M5.1 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu) · 2026-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu) · 2026-09-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near Tafea (Vanuatu) on September 8, 2026 at 00:52 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
b188a70b7a987298c6876325deb244b176b3a128
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-08 00:52:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Tafea
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-19.80720, 170.11940

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (102.2 km)
Regional average: 102.2 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

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 192 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila294.6 kmNW35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 77 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 128 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 307 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 321 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 351 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Futuna AirportVanuatu · FTA · NVVF
    34.4 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-08

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.3.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
USGSM5.110.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.310.0 km9.8 km
RESIFM5.010.0 km20.9 km
EMSCM5.344.0 km21.1 km

Vanuatu

Context for this earthquake

08 Sep 2025 – 08 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 89 Catalogue entries

Of 88 other entries for this area and period, 20 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#14
Earlier events M≥478
Earlier events M≥544
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12026-07-08 09:50:28 UTC143.2 kmVanuatu [Sea] M5.92026-09-05 17:02:18 UTC53.4 kmMarae M5.82026-09-02 21:22:11 UTC56.4 kmTafea M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC144.9 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.72026-01-05 00:42:28 UTC89.2 kmVanuatu Islands

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.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
495
Country (24h)
Vanuatu
1
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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