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M5.5 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Vanuatu Islands

UTC time: 2025-12-18 01:59:32 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 18, 2025 at 01:59 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near Vanuatu Islands. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-18 01:59:32 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-20.28000, 169.09000
Temperature
26.5°C

Map

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
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 Vila294.4 kmN35'901

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 91 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 132 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 170 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 324 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 325 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Hunter Island
    Distance: 387 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 297 m ·Last eruption: 1903 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#2
Earlier events M≥459
Earlier events M≥531
Compared since2025-01-01

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72025-03-28 01:20:04 UTC127.1 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.52025-01-01 04:39:18 UTC78.1 km153 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.42025-08-28 11:40:25 UTC79.2 kmVanuatu Islands M5.32025-09-25 23:16:51 UTC12.7 kmVANUATU M5.32025-09-25 23:16:49 UTC25.7 kmLoyalty Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
670
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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