Earthquakes in Vanuatu — December 2025

10 earthquakes were recorded in Vanuatu during December 2025, an average of 0.3 per day.

10 reached magnitude 4 or above and 4 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 146 km.

The month's largest event in Vanuatu was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu on 23 December 2025 at 20:41 UTC. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,788 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is close to the Vanuatu monthly average of 12 events over the period we cover, and down from the 12 recorded the previous month.

30% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 60% 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 6 in the magnitude 4 range, 4 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 07 December, when 2 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.6 near Port-Olry, Vanuatu on 23 December at 171 km; M5.6 near Port-Olry, Vanuatu on 07 December at 10 km; M5.2 near Isangel, Vanuatu on 18 December at 52 km.

That is 20% below the 12 events Vanuatu averages per month across the 21 months on record.