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M5.0 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.0 Earthquake near Loyalty Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-14 14:35:15 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On March 14, 2026 at 14:35 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Loyalty Islands. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-14 14:35:15 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-20.41000, 168.30000
Temperature
25.9°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
Dumbéa272.4 kmSW19'346

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yasur
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 361 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Vanuatu
  • Gemini-Oscostar
    Distance: 200 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Vanuatu
  • Traitor's Head
    Distance: 209 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 817 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Vanuatu
  • Nguna-Emau
    Distance: 329 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 589 m ·Vanuatu
  • Matthew Island
    Distance: 379 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 177 m ·Last eruption: 1956 ·France - claimed by Vanuatu
  • Kuwae
    Distance: 399 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -2 m ·Last eruption: 1974 ·Vanuatu

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM6.1
M6.12026-03-20 02:30:32 UTC125.9 km105 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC124.4 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) WSW (az= 247.2) from Fortuna Foothills, AZ M6.12026-03-20 02:30:33 UTC125.7 kmVanuatu Islands M4.42026-03-20 10:12:11 UTC131.1 kmVanuatu Islands M4.62026-03-20 19:55:20 UTC128.0 kmVANUATU M4.92026-03-23 03:48:05 UTC100.0 kmVanuatu Islands M5.12026-04-08 00:11:27 UTC130.0 kmLOYALTY ISLANDS M5.02026-04-08 00:11:37 UTC135.9 kmSoutheast of Loyalty Islands

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#19
Earlier events M≥441
Earlier events M≥525
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 UTC146.6 km66 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.52025-12-18 01:59:32 UTC83.6 kmVanuatu Islands M5.52025-01-01 04:39:18 UTC126.4 km153 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu M5.42025-08-28 11:40:25 UTC139.6 kmVanuatu Islands M5.32025-09-25 23:16:51 UTC79.2 kmVANUATU

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
610
Country (24h)
—
—
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