Earthquakes in Vanuatu — March 2026

18 earthquakes were recorded in Vanuatu during March 2026, an average of 0.6 per day.

18 reached magnitude 4 or above and 7 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 102 km.

The month's largest event in Vanuatu was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu on 30 March 2026 at 08:44 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 12 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 10 recorded the previous month.

44% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 50% 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, 4 in the magnitude 5 range, 1 in the magnitude 6 range, 2 in the magnitude 7 range.

Activity peaked on 30 March, when 5 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M7.3 near Luganville, Vanuatu on 30 March at 116 km; M7.2 near Luganville, Vanuatu on 30 March at 88 km; M6.1 near Isangel, Vanuatu on 20 March at 10 km.

That is 44% above the 12 events Vanuatu averages per month across the 21 months on record.

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