Earthquake · 17 Oct 2026
M4.5 earthquake — 80 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu
- Event
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M4.5 (Light)
- Severity
- Moderate
- Time
- (17 days ago)
- Location
- 80 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu
- Country
- Vanuatu
- Coordinates
- -13.346°, 167.047°
- Source
- USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
What this means
This was a light earthquake of magnitude 4.5. Usually causes noticeable shaking and rattling of indoor objects, but significant damage is unlikely.
Magnitude measures the energy released at the source. How strongly the ground shook at any particular place depends on distance from the epicenter, the depth of the quake, local geology and building construction, so the same magnitude can be harmless in one place and damaging in another. First magnitudes are preliminary and are often revised by a few tenths as more stations report.
Other events within 300 km (±14 days)
- M4.8 earthquake — 97 km ENE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 189 km away, 31 Oct 2026, 00:26 UTC
- M4.7 earthquake — 222 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 183 km away, 30 Oct 2026, 22:14 UTC
- M6.2 earthquake — 43 km ESE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 210 km away, 29 Oct 2026, 21:46 UTC
- M4.9 earthquake — 117 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 222 km away, 29 Oct 2026, 00:57 UTC
- M5.4 earthquake — 109 km ENE of Luganville, Vanuatu — 228 km away, 29 Oct 2026, 00:08 UTC
- M5.0 earthquake — 200 km W of Sola, Vanuatu — 152 km away, 28 Oct 2026, 04:31 UTC
- M5.6 earthquake — 174 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 157 km away, 28 Oct 2026, 02:59 UTC
- M6.0 earthquake — 214 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 185 km away, 28 Oct 2026, 02:21 UTC
- M5.2 earthquake — 220 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 179 km away, 28 Oct 2026, 02:17 UTC
- M4.8 earthquake — 217 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — 184 km away, 28 Oct 2026, 02:13 UTC
Smaller earthquakes close in time and space to a larger one are often aftershocks or foreshocks, though GlobalRisk does not classify them.
More from Vanuatu
GlobalRisk has recorded 115 events in or near Vanuatu in the data we hold. See the full Vanuatu risk monitor.
Source and attribution
Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. View the original report ↗
GlobalRisk republishes only basic facts (type, time, location, magnitude or alert level) and links to the original report. Details may be revised by the source after this page was generated on 3 Nov 2026, 06:40 UTC.
Related guides
- Earthquake Magnitude Explained: What M4, M6 and M7 Really Mean
- Earthquake Safety: What to Do Before, During and After
For situational awareness only, not an official warning. Follow local authorities. Open the live map