Earthquakes in Vanuatu — May 2025

17 earthquakes were recorded in Vanuatu during May 2025, an average of 0.5 per day.

17 reached magnitude 4 or above and 6 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 132 km.

The month's largest event in Vanuatu was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu on 28 May 2025 at 08:57 UTC. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake radiates roughly 10,676 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the Vanuatu monthly average of 12 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 11 recorded the previous month.

47% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 47% intermediate (70–300 km) and 6% 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 11 in the magnitude 4 range, 6 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 09 May, when 3 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.9 near Sola, Vanuatu on 28 May at 202 km; M5.9 near Port-Vila, Vanuatu on 11 May at 60 km; M5.5 near Isangel, Vanuatu on 06 May at 109 km.

That is 36% above the 12 events Vanuatu averages per month across the 21 months on record.