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Vanuatu · Tafea

M4.8 Earthquake near Tafea (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-05-20 16:53:36 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.

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.8 earthquake was recorded near Tafea (Vanuatu) on May 20, 2026 at 16:53 UTC. At around 290 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
ee35b4d4d84158a075986ebfe4df8a98eec780cb
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
290.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-20 16:53:36 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Tafea
City
Tafea
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-19.55000, 169.73000
Temperature
22.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 290 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 290 km
Intermediate
290 km
290 km — deeper than the regional average (92.2 km)
Regional average: 92.2 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 30 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 102 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 162 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 275 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 328 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 349 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 85 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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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