Reviewed by USGSVanuatu29d ago
M5.0 earthquake 115 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu
Friday, August 28, 2026, 08:32:36 UTC · 19.249°S, 168.231°E
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 115 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Friday, August 28, 2026, 08:32:36 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 3 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.0 on August 20, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mb
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 3
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
46 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the New Hebrides and Australian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu | II · Weak | 3 | 167 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,883 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11920 Vanuatu EarthquakeSeptember 20, 1920 · 86 km S of this epicenter
- 7.999 km SW of Port-Vila, VanuatuDecember 2, 1950 · 115 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.828 km ESE of Isangel, VanuatuJune 16, 1910 · 143 km E of this epicenter
- 7.663 km NW of Isangel, VanuatuOctober 14, 1913 · 75 km E of this epicenter
- 7.447 km NW of Isangel, VanuatuOctober 11, 1992 · 75 km E of this epicenter
- 7.363 km S of Port-Vila, VanuatuJuly 23, 1961 · 105 km N of this epicenter
- 7.324 km WNW of Port-Vila, VanuatuDecember 17, 2024 · 174 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3141 km W of Isangel, VanuatuDecember 25, 2010 · 59 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 48 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 40 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1875M8.1
Loyalty Islands: Lifou Island
28 Mar 1875 · 88 km away
26 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 2024M7.3
Efate, Port Vila
17 Dec 2024 · 175 km away
14 deaths$100 million damagetsunami
- 1920M8.1
Loyalty Islands
20 Sep 1920 · 86 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1878M7.5
Tanna Island
10 Jan 1878 · 40 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1961M7.3
Vanuatu Islands
23 Jul 1961 · 94 km away · intensity VI
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2010M7.3
Vanuatu Islands
25 Dec 2010 · 59 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.