Earthquakes in Vanuatu — December 2024

32 earthquakes were recorded in Vanuatu during December 2024, an average of 1.0 per day.

32 reached magnitude 4 or above and 10 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 89 km.

The month's largest event in Vanuatu was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 17 December 2024 at 01:47 UTC. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake radiates roughly 1.3 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the Vanuatu monthly average of 13 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 11 recorded the previous month.

62% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 38% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). A substantial share of intermediate-depth events points to a subducting slab beneath the region rather than purely crustal faulting.

By band, the catalogue holds 22 in the magnitude 4 range, 8 in the magnitude 5 range, 1 in the magnitude 6 range, 1 in the magnitude 7 range.

Activity peaked on 17 December, when 15 events were recorded.

1 event(s) this month carry a USGS link to NOAA tsunami information; the flag does not indicate whether a tsunami occurred.

The month's largest events were M7.3 near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 17 December at 57 km; M6.1 near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 21 December at 40 km; M5.5 near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 17 December at 49 km.

That is 150% above the 13 events Vanuatu averages per month across the 22 months on record.

This month also holds the strongest earthquake recorded in Vanuatu in our entire catalogue.