M6.3 Earthquake: 197 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

Updated 09:05 UTC · 29 Oct 2026

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 197 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu at 04:20 UTC on 20 Oct 2026, at a depth of 16 km, reported by USGS. USGS PAGER issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths. USGS set its tsunami flag for this quake; that is not a warning, so check tsunami.gov and local officials. So far 69 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been recorded within 50 km, the largest a M6.9. A larger M6.9 quake followed on 24 Oct 2026, so this one was a foreshock.

M6.3

Magnitude (USGS)

mww

16 km

Depth

shallow

GREEN

USGS PAGER impact alert

estimated impact

Aftershocks M2.5+ so far

within 50 km

[ fig. 1 ] M6.3 EPICENTRE, AFTERSHOCKS AND PAST QUAKESThis quakeAftershock M5+AftershockPast M6+

USGS · updated 09:05 UTC 2026-10-29Tap a point for details · pinch or ctrl + scroll to zoomTrack this live in the app ›

Nearest places

Port-Olry, Sanma, Vanuatu198 km from the epicentre · quake was NW of here · population 1,951198 KM
Sola, Torba, Vanuatu212 km from the epicentre · quake was W of here · population 1,171212 KM
Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu239 km from the epicentre · quake was NW of here · population 13,397239 KM
Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu507 km from the epicentre · quake was NW of here · population 35,901507 KM
Wé, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia787 km from the epicentre · quake was NNW of here · population 10,375787 KM

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Strongest aftershocks so far

Key context

Tectonic setting

New Hebrides (Vanuatu) Trench. The Australian Plate subducts east beneath the Pacific Plate along the New Hebrides Trench, one of the most active subduction zones in the world. Swarms of M5-6 quakes are common, and the 17 December 2024 M7.3 quake near Port Vila damaged the capital.

The USGS moment tensor shows normal faulting: the crust was pulled apart and one block dropped down, typical of stretching crust or of bending in a sinking slab.

At 16 km it was a very shallow quake: shallow quakes shake the ground above them hardest, so local damage depends on how close towns are.

Shaking and impact

USGS PAGER estimates the impact from the shaking and the number of people exposed. For this quake it issued a green alert: little or no damage and a low chance of deaths (fatality alert: green, economic loss alert: green). PAGER is an early estimate and can change as reports come in.

The USGS ShakeMap estimates the strongest shaking at intensity IV on the Modified Mercalli scale (light).

1 person sent a "Did You Feel It?" report to USGS, with the strongest reported intensity III (weak).

Aftershocks

This page counts quakes of M2.5 or more within 50 km after the main shock, from the USGS catalog (last checked 09:05 UTC, 29 Oct 2026): 69 aftershocks so far.

Aftershocks are normal after a quake of this size. They usually become less frequent over days and weeks, but a strong aftershock can still happen, and in a few sequences a later quake is larger. No one can predict their exact time or size; follow the official agency for your area.

Earthquake history within 250 km

Since 1976, USGS lists 1,237 quakes of M5 or more within 250 km of this epicentre, about 25 a year. Since 1900 the same circle had 138 quakes of M6.3 or larger.

Largest earlier quakes within 250 km, USGS catalog since 1900 (M6+).
Magnitude	Place (USGS)	Date	Depth
M7.9	199 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands	1980-07-17	33 km
M7.8	196 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu	2009-10-07	35 km
M7.8	186 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu	1957-12-17	124 km
M7.7	171 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu	1997-04-21	33 km
M7.7	45 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu	1965-05-20	50 km
M7.7	148 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu	2009-10-07	45 km
M7.5	81 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu	1973-12-28	26 km
M7.5	196 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands	1980-07-08	33 km

Official information

Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
USGS event page for this quake (ShakeMap, PAGER, felt reports)
tsunami.gov for US tsunami bulletins

Data status

USGS review status: reviewed. Magnitude type: mww. USGS last updated this event on 27 Oct 2026 at 17:29 UTC. Magnitude, depth and location can still be revised; this page keeps the same address if they change.

Questions and answers

How strong was the earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu?

USGS measured it at magnitude 6.3 (mww), 16 km deep. The strongest estimated shaking was intensity IV (light). Quakes of M6 to 6.9 are classed as strong.

Was there a tsunami?

USGS set its tsunami flag, which means the quake was large and in an ocean region, so the tsunami warning centres checked it. The flag is not a warning. Check tsunami.gov and your national agency for actual warnings and follow local officials.

Was the earthquake felt?

Yes. 1 person reported it to USGS "Did You Feel It?", with reports up to intensity III.

Will there be more aftershocks?

Aftershocks are likely to continue for days to weeks, becoming less frequent over time. So far 69 aftershocks of M2.5+ have been listed. Most sequences do not produce a larger quake, but some do. No one can predict the time or size of the next one; follow Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department.

What should I do after a strong earthquake?

Expect aftershocks: Drop, Cover and Hold On when shaking starts again. Check for injuries and damage, stay out of damaged buildings, and use text messages instead of calls so emergency lines stay free. On a coast, move to high ground after strong shaking. Follow your local officials.

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Sources

USGS event page: magnitude, location, ShakeMap, PAGER and Did You Feel It? data for this event. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS ComCat (FDSN event web service): the USGS earthquake catalog, used for the 30-year counts, history and aftershocks. Public domain. Credit: U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS Geoserve: nearest places to the epicentre.
GeoNames: large-city coordinates, CC BY 4.0.

Page built 09:05 UTC, 2026-10-29. Full list: data sources and method.