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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Vanuatu

Vanuatu ranks 10th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

7,557
M4+ events (since 2005)
555
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.9
Strongest
~360
M4+ per year

The verdict

Vanuatu has logged 7,557 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 555 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.9.

#10
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
7,557
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.9
strongest earthquake on record
555
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Vanuatu by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Vanuatu's most active year for major earthquakes was 1994 (16 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 555 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Vanuatu.

M7.0-7.9

73

13.2%

M6.0-6.9

482

86.8%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 555 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 61 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

417

75.1% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

137

24.7% of events

Deep (>300 km)

1

0.2% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Vanuatu

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.9 99 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 30.0 km
7.8 28 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu 100.0 km
7.8 196 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 35.0 km
7.8 186 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu 123.6 km
7.7 148 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 45.0 km
7.7 171 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu 33.0 km
7.7 45 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 50.0 km
7.6 31 km S of Luganville, Vanuatu 47.6 km
7.6 63 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu 125.0 km
7.5 92 km ESE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 33.0 km

Significant earthquake record (555 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Vanuatu since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
7.3 51 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu 120.6 km
6.1 98 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 21.0 km
6.4 48 km W of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 43.0 km
6.1 33 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 47.0 km
7.3 24 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 54.4 km
6.1 99 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu 4.0 km
6.3 49 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 149.0 km
6.3 83 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 22.0 km
6.1 101 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu 19.2 km
6.3 39 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 31.0 km
7.1 118 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu 48.0 km
6.7 97 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 13.0 km
6.0 53 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 68.0 km
6.1 62 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu 125.0 km
6.5 35 km W of Sola, Vanuatu 188.0 km
6.4 96 km ENE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 13.0 km
6.5 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 17.0 km
7.0 23 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 29.0 km
6.1 289 km SE of Isangel, Vanuatu 4.0 km
7.0 209 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 137.0 km
6.0 82 km ESE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 10.0 km
6.3 63 km WSW of Norsup, Vanuatu 17.0 km
6.0 56 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 31.0 km
6.0 110 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 104.0 km
6.2 59 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu 93.0 km
6.9 17 km N of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 93.0 km
6.1 66 km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu 173.3 km
6.2 136 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 14.0 km
6.2 82 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 13.0 km
6.1 50 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 160.0 km
6.1 146 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 113.0 km
6.2 72 km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 10.0 km
6.2 104 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 10.0 km
6.4 69 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 181.9 km
6.2 51 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 9.7 km
6.1 99 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 176.0 km
6.0 56 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu 7.5 km
6.0 60 km NNE of Isangel, Vanuatu 266.0 km
6.0 23 km ENE of Sola, Vanuatu 19.0 km
6.4 61 km NNE of Isangel, Vanuatu 231.0 km
6.0 61 km SW of Sola, Vanuatu 115.0 km
6.6 63 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 181.0 km
6.0 40 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu 91.0 km
6.3 53 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu 119.0 km
6.0 67 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 38.7 km
6.6 94 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 35.0 km
6.0 95 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu 42.0 km
6.5 78 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 9.0 km
6.4 72 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 167.0 km
6.1 27 km WSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 28.0 km
6.4 85 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 197.0 km
6.8 59 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 169.0 km
6.1 71 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 167.0 km
6.0 7 km NE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 27.0 km
6.0 91 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu 15.0 km
6.3 84 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu 13.0 km
6.2 98 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 111.0 km
7.0 3 km NW of Norsup, Vanuatu 24.0 km
6.4 89 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 16.0 km
6.7 104 km W of Sola, Vanuatu 27.6 km
6.7 102 km WSW of Sola, Vanuatu 24.0 km
6.9 82 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 26.0 km
6.0 128 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu 10.0 km
7.1 31 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 135.0 km
6.0 209 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 7.1 km
6.8 81 km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 220.0 km
6.2 10 km ENE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 110.2 km
6.2 85 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu 36.0 km
6.6 239 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 106.0 km
6.3 262 km ESE of Sola, Vanuatu 638.0 km
6.5 32 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 122.0 km
6.5 32 km W of Sola, Vanuatu 187.0 km
6.1 58 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu 124.0 km
6.0 51 km NNE of Isangel, Vanuatu 280.2 km
6.7 59 km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu 200.7 km
6.1 99 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu 32.0 km
6.2 112 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu 36.0 km
6.0 191 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu 27.0 km
6.3 51 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu 160.1 km
6.2 84 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu 11.0 km
6.7 57 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu 16.0 km
6.1 117 km WSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 8.0 km
6.1 81 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 145.0 km
6.1 116 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 8.0 km
7.1 125 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 23.0 km
7.0 133 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 185.1 km
6.0 193 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu 41.0 km
6.2 77 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 13.0 km
7.1 64 km S of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 28.0 km
6.5 65 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 35.0 km
7.2 71 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 32.0 km
6.2 72 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 17.0 km
6.1 124 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 18.0 km
6.5 110 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu 22.0 km
6.4 120 km W of Isangel, Vanuatu 16.0 km
6.0 105 km W of Isangel, Vanuatu 13.0 km
7.3 141 km W of Isangel, Vanuatu 16.0 km
6.3 137 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu 10.0 km
7.3 33 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu 25.0 km
6.1 115 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu 6.0 km

Showing the first 100 of 555 significant events.

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Vanuatu.

New Zealand

7,422 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Mexico

8,296 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Japan region

6,324 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Solomon Islands

6,125 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

China

4,920 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Greece

4,600 M4+ events · strongest M7.0

M7.0

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Vanuatu? ▼
The USGS catalog records 7,557 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Vanuatu since 2005, an average of about 360 per year. Separately, 555 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Vanuatu? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Vanuatu measured magnitude 7.9. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.6 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Vanuatu? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Vanuatu ranks 10th of 215 countries worldwide - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1994, with 16.
How deep are earthquakes in Vanuatu? ▼
Across the 555 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 61 km. 75% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

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