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Vanuatu · Shefa

M5.0 Earthquake near Natapao, Shefa (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-01-06 23:10:38 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.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Natapao, Shefa (Vanuatu) · 2026-01-06 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Natapao, Shefa (Vanuatu) · 2026-01-06 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On January 6, 2026 at 23:10 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Natapao, Shefa (Vanuatu). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 62 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
c329c0df88e5a177d67176a61240a120277bb7f6
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
62.4 km
UTC time
2026-01-06 23:10:38 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Shefa
City
Natapao
Village
Natapao
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-17.62760, 168.24650
Temperature
28.0°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 62.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 62.4 km
Shallow
62.4 km
62.4 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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila14.0 kmSE35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 23 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 93 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 106 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 125 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Ambrym Activity reported
    Distance: 154 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 1'334 m ·Last eruption: 2024 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Bauerfield International AirportVanuatu · VLI · NVVV
    11.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • Tongoa AirportVanuatu · TGH · NVST
    88.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • Valesdir AirportVanuatu · VLS · NVSV
    92.8 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

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#21
Earlier events M≥487
Earlier events M≥533
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 UTC8.9 kmVANUATU M5.92025-02-10 00:09:43 UTC53.7 km65 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.92025-02-10 00:09:42 UTC41.7 km53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC25.2 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62025-08-22 12:53:02 UTC70.9 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.

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