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M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu region

UTC time: 2026-09-25 11:12:16 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
24.0 km
Source
USGS

Vanuatu region

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu region · 2026-09-25 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near Vanuatu region · 2026-09-25 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On September 25, 2026 at 11:12 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu region. With a focal depth of about 24 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 data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
dec33e3b5d04cc50de39a79b05b7ff08020520a3
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
24.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-25 11:12:16 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-21.89040, 174.07920
Temperature
20.7°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 24 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 24 km
Shallow
24 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 Conway Reef ↔ New Hebrides · about 1 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Sigatoka549.4 kmNE17'622

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 217 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 288 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 422 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.1 to M5.3.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.324.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.110.0 km19.5 km
USGSM5.324.0 km0.0 km
ISCM5.244.0 km20.1 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#8
Earlier events M≥48
Earlier events M≥57
Compared since2025-03-29

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.82025-09-08 21:47:54 UTC92.5 kmVanuatu region M6.82025-09-08 21:47:49 UTC93.9 kmVanuatu region M6.42025-09-08 21:47:50 UTC104.2 kmVANUATU REGION M6.42025-09-08 21:47:48 UTC106.5 kmVanuatu region M6.22025-09-08 21:47:53 UTC107.1 kmFiji [Sea]

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
492
Country (24h)
—
—
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