M4.3 Earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — 22 November 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.3 was recorded near Sola, Vanuatu on , with an epicentre 268 km east-northeast of Sola, at a focal depth of 660.8 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-11-22 06:24:35
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.3 (light)
Focal depth: 660.8 km (deep)
Epicentre: -12.7558, 169.7500
Location: 268 km ENE of Sola, Vanuatu
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 284, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at -12.7558, 169.7500 — 268 km east-northeast of Sola. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.1 earthquake 58 km west of here on 31 March 2026.
Why the 661 km depth matters
At 661 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.3 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 661 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
10 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Sola on 23 January 2025. This M4.3 event released about 89 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the November 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M5.1 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (58 km W)
- M5.6 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (91 km W)
- M4.4 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (113 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near Vanuatu region — (144 km SE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Vanuatu region — (165 km SSE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.1 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M4.0 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands —
- M4.6 earthquake near Honmachi, Japan —
- M4.2 earthquake near Banda Sea —
- M4.4 earthquake near Ollagüe, Chile —
- M4.4 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M4.4 earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region —
- M4.5 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.3 earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.3 earthquake radiates roughly 43 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Sola?
At 661 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.
Was the M4.3 earthquake near Sola felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.3 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 661 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Sola?
10 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Sola on 23 January 2025. This M4.3 event released about 89 times less energy than that event.