Reviewed by USGSVanuatu13d ago
M5.2 earthquake 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu
Sunday, September 13, 2026, 07:19:23 UTC · 15.280°S, 167.382°E
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 35 km NE of Luganville, Vanuatu on Sunday, September 13, 2026, 07:19:23 UTC, at a depth of 154.1 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.1 on August 16, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 154 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 tons of TNT
That is about 1/16 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
125 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the New Hebrides and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
154 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗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 lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event; the largest was M4.7 on September 16, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 2,141 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.745 km NNE of Port-Olry, VanuatuMay 20, 1965 · 73 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7148 km NW of Sola, VanuatuOctober 7, 2009 · 270 km N of this epicenter
- 7.631 km S of Luganville, VanuatuAugust 11, 1965 · 62 km S of this epicenter
- 7.581 km NW of Port-Olry, VanuatuDecember 28, 1973 · 124 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.592 km ESE of Lakatoro, VanuatuNovember 26, 1999 · 155 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.447 km WSW of Norsup, VanuatuNovember 9, 1910 · 117 km S of this epicenter
- 7.443 km W of Norsup, VanuatuAugust 13, 1965 · 102 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.4143 km NW of Sola, VanuatuOctober 7, 2009 · 261 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 40 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 25 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 2024M7.3
Efate, Port Vila
17 Dec 2024 · 276 km away
14 deaths$100 million damagetsunami
- 1999M7.5
Pentecost
26 Nov 1999 · 155 km away
10 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1971M7.1
Espiritu Santo, Port Vila
27 Oct 1971 · 31 km away · intensity VII
1 deathSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1965M7.6
Vanuatu Islands
11 Aug 1965 · 61 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1973M7.5
Espiritu Santo, Luganille
28 Dec 1973 · 124 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1910M7.2
Espiritu Santo
10 Nov 1910 · 171 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.