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M5.5 Earthquake near Event of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde)

UTC time: 2026-03-20 02:30:34 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. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
Source
RESIF

Event of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde)

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near Event of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) · 2026-03-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near Event of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) · 2026-03-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.5 earthquake was recorded near Event of magnitude 5.5, near of Nouméa (Monde) on March 20, 2026 at 02:30 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by RESIF.

Details

ID
b66eac2cff2a2801dc77e8b17502fb7e1bb24597
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-20 02:30:34 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
resif
Coordinates
-19.37557, 168.45300
Temperature
27.5°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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila182.8 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 108 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 214 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 248 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 283 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 300 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Whitegrass AirportVanuatu · TAH · NVVW
    81.3 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.6
M4.42026-03-20 10:12:11 UTC19.0 kmVanuatu Islands M4.62026-03-20 19:55:20 UTC18.2 kmVANUATU M4.92026-03-23 03:48:05 UTC49.4 kmVanuatu Islands M5.42026-04-02 23:21:44 UTC118.8 km M5.62026-04-02 23:22:13 UTC123.9 kmVanuatu Islands M5.22026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC113.1 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.42026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC120.2 kmVANUATU M5.62026-04-02 23:22:14 UTC115.4 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu]

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.5 to M6.1.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
NNSNM6.110.0 km17.6 km
USPM5.810.0 km33.8 km
RESIFM5.510.0 km0.0 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#5
Earlier events M≥476
Earlier events M≥535
Compared since2025-01-09

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 UTC13.4 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 247.2) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC9.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC41.6 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.62025-07-13 06:16:52 UTC143.7 kmVanuatu Islands M5.52025-12-18 01:59:32 UTC120.6 kmVanuatu Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
570
Country (24h)
—
—
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No recent events available.

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