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M4.6 Earthquake near Isangel, Vanuatu — 22 December 2024

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.6 was recorded near Isangel, Vanuatu on , with an epicentre 172 km south-southeast of Isangel, at a focal depth of 82.1 km. It ranked as the 22nd strongest of 35 earthquakes recorded in Vanuatu in the preceding 30 days.

4.6 Light

Time (UTC): 2024-12-22 05:03:22

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.6 (light)

Focal depth: 82.1 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: -21.0193, 169.8080

Location: 172 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu

Country: 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 4.6 earthquake radiates roughly 120 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 326, 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.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 16:22 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.

This event was deeper than 55% of the 282 earthquakes recorded in Vanuatu in our catalogue and stronger than 26% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -21.0193, 169.8080 — 172 km south-southeast of Isangel. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.7 earthquake 13 km west-northwest of here on 09 September 2026.

The nearest other settlement in our records is Tadine (192 km south-southeast).

Why the 82 km depth matters

At 82 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

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 intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

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 M4.6 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; 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.

109 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near southeast of the Loyalty Islands on 13 July 2026. This M4.6 event released about 1,413 times less energy than that event.

2 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 2 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the December 2024 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Vanuatu during December 2024. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Vanuatu

All recorded earthquakes in Vanuatu →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Isangel?

It measured magnitude 4.6 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.6 earthquake radiates roughly 120 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Isangel?

The focus was 82 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Isangel earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.6 and a focal depth of 82 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Isangel happen?

22 December 2024 at 05:03 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

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 Isangel?

109 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near southeast of the Loyalty Islands on 13 July 2026. This M4.6 event released about 1,413 times less energy than that event.