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Vanuatu · Tafea

M4.8 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-09-09 19:15:12 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

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About this earthquake

On September 9, 2026 at 19:15 UTC, a magnitude M4.8 earthquake occurred near Tafea (Vanuatu). 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 are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
c80199d9feace702b4bc68fe4b473a75c36c301d
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-09 19:15:12 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Tafea
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-19.75290, 170.07090
Temperature
22.3°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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (98.2 km)
Regional average: 98.2 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 191 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 70 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 134 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 141 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 313 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 315 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 359 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

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

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20

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

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 93 Catalogue entries

Of 92 other entries for this area and period, 52 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Vanuatu

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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)
590
Country (24h)
Vanuatu
0
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