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M5.0 Depth: 151.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2025-12-17 22:30:13 UTC Local time: —
M5.0 earthquake near Tafea on Dec 17, 2025 — map of epicenter and shaking intensity | QuakeMap24
M5.0 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands (Vanuatu) · 2025-12-17 22:30:13 UTC

About this earthquake

On December 17, 2025 at 22:30 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu Islands (Vanuatu). At around 151 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
151.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-17 22:30:13 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
City
Tafea
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-18.65000, 168.62000
Temperature
27.6°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 151 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 151 km
Intermediate
151 km
151 km — deeper than the regional average (112.7 km)
Regional average: 112.7 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Port Vila106.6 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 66 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 131 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 136 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 203 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 220 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 240 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#27
Earlier events M≥494
Earlier events M≥539
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 UTC111.7 kmVANUATU M5.72025-05-11 11:22:19 UTC128.5 kmVanuatu Islands M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC60.8 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.62025-08-22 12:53:02 UTC132.3 kmVanuatu Islands M5.62025-08-22 12:52:56 UTC114.6 kmVanuatu Islands [Sea: Vanuatu]

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.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
621
Country (24h)
Vanuatu
0
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No recent events available.

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