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Vanuatu · Tafea

M4.6 Earthquake near Ipota, Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-09-05 23:46:26 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 ↗

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.6 earthquake was recorded near Ipota, Tafea (Vanuatu) on September 5, 2026 at 23:46 UTC. At around 240 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude are clearly felt; minor damage to vulnerable buildings is possible.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. Vanuatu: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 3 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.9.

Details

ID
d64a7ffd4bd9276bf6cbcfb188a1fe8081d03c30
Magnitude
M4.6
Depth
240.4 km
UTC time
2026-09-05 23:46:26 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Ipota
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-18.89490, 169.25070
Temperature
22.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 240.4 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 240.4 km
Intermediate
240.4 km
240.4 km — deeper than the regional average (103.8 km)
Regional average: 103.8 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the New Hebrides Plate.
Near the boundary New Hebrides ↔ Australia · about 160 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 16 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 74 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 186 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 242 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 247 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 263 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Context for this earthquake

06 Sep 2025 – 06 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 88 Catalogue entries

Of 87 other entries for this area and period, 74 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.

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