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Vanuatu · Shefa

M4.9 Earthquake near Shefa (Vanuatu)

UTC time: 2026-05-16 15:35:20 UTC Local time: —
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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 M4.9 earthquake was recorded near Shefa (Vanuatu) on May 16, 2026 at 15:35 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. 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
f31be33185234d88007f0144c6c0ab290a643a01
Magnitude
M4.9
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-16 15:35:20 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Vanuatu
State
Shefa
City
Shefa
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-17.88280, 168.86190
Temperature
26.4°C

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (92.2 km)
Regional average: 92.2 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 72 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 122 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu
  • East Epi
    Distance: 143 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 833 m ·Last eruption: 2023 ·Vanuatu
  • Lopevi
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'413 m ·Last eruption: 2007 ·Vanuatu
  • Yasur
    Distance: 193 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·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.

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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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