M6.2 earthquake 48 km NE of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 48 km NE of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu at 08:46 local time (21:46 UTC) on 30 Oct 2026, at a depth of 143 km, according to USGS, GFZ and INGV.
Reported by 3 agencies · revised from M6.1
Data: USGS, GFZ, INGV · updated 2026-10-29 22:04 UTC · reviewed
- Magnitude
- 6.2strong
moment magnitude (W phase) (mww)
revised from 6.1 - Depth
- 142.8 km
- Status
- Reviewed
- Origin time
- 2026-10-29 21:46:44 UTC
- Local: 30 Oct 2026, 08:46:44 (Pacific/Efate)
- Epicentre
- 15.189° S, 167.452° E
Circles show this event and others within 159 km from 7 days before to 30 days after. Lines: plate boundaries and GEM active faults. Open on the live map
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Est. shaking |
|---|---|---|
| LuganvilleSanma, Vanuatu · pop. 13,397 | 48 km | IVLight |
| SaratamataPenama, Vanuatu · pop. 0 | 59 km | IVLight |
Shaking is an estimate from the intensity prediction equation of Allen, Wald & Worden (2012), not an observation. Local ground and buildings can change it by a level or more. Likely felt out to about 443 km.
Every agency's solution
Agencies locate earthquakes with their own stations and methods, so their numbers differ. We match reports of the same event by time, distance and magnitude and show them side by side. The headline uses USGS, which has been reviewed by an analyst.
| Agency | Magnitude | Depth | Epicentre | Time offset | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GFZGFZ via GEOFON, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences | 6.0 Mwas 6.1 | 150.7 km | 15.18° S, 167.43° E | +1.8 s | Automatic · 1 revision |
| INGVSURVEY-INGV-A via Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia | 6.1 Mwp | 121.1 km | 15.19° S, 167.48° E | −0.7 s | Automatic |
| USGSheadlineUSGS NEIC via U.S. Geological Survey | 6.2 mww | 142.8 km | 15.19° S, 167.45° E | – | Reviewed |
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How big was it?
Can cause damage over tens of kilometres, depending on depth, local ground and how buildings are built.
It released roughly the energy of 30 kt of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step means about 32 times more energy and 10 times larger waves on a seismogram. Depth matters too: at 143 km this was a intermediate-depth earthquake, which spreads shaking over a wider area but less intensely.
M6.2 releases about 32× the energy of M5.2, and its waves are about 10× taller on a seismogram. Energy: 30 kt of TNT vs 951 t of TNT.
Each square is the energy of one M5.2. Energy from log₁₀E = 1.5M + 4.8.
Aftershocks and nearby activity
No later earthquakes have been recorded within 159 km so far. 6 in the 7 days before. Aftershock rates usually fall off roughly in proportion to 1/time.
Did you feel it?
Reports from people help show where shaking was strong. They are anonymous and shown here in aggregate.
Reports on SeismoAtlas
No reports yet.
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Event id gfz2026vfpn. First recorded here 29 Oct 2026, 21:54:55 UTC. Solutions: GFZ (geofon:gfz2026vfpn); INGV (ingv:47820382); USGS (usgs:us7000tu4f). Cite as: SeismoAtlas, “M6.2 earthquake 48 km NE of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu”, https://seismoatlas.com/earthquake/gfz2026vfpn-m6-2-earthquake-48-km-ne-of-luganville-sanma-vanuatu, data from USGS, GFZ, INGV.
JSON: /api/v1/events/gfz2026vfpn. SeismoAtlas is not an official warning service.