Earthquakes in Vanuatu — January 2025

20 earthquakes were recorded in Vanuatu during January 2025, an average of 0.6 per day.

20 reached magnitude 4 or above and 8 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 133 km.

The month's largest event in Vanuatu was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu on 23 January 2025 at 11:14 UTC. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,788 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 down from the 32 recorded the previous month.

65% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 25% intermediate (70–300 km) and 10% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 12 in the magnitude 4 range, 8 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 04 January, when 3 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.6 near Sola, Vanuatu on 23 January at 621 km; M5.6 near Isangel, Vanuatu on 01 January at 10 km; M5.3 near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 26 January at 39 km.

That is 56% above the 13 events Vanuatu averages per month across the 22 months on record.