M4.7 Earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — 10 August 2026
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded near Sola, Vanuatu on , with an epicentre 180 km northeast of Sola, at a focal depth of 640.5 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-08-10 11:50:25
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.7 (light)
Focal depth: 640.5 km (deep)
Epicentre: -12.8915, 168.8820
Location: 180 km NE 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 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 340, 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 -12.8915, 168.8820 — 180 km northeast of Sola. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake 7 km north-northeast of here on 23 January 2025.
Why the 641 km depth matters
At 641 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 M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 641 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
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 2 hours since this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.
46 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Sola on 28 May 2025. This M4.7 event released about 63 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 August 2026 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M5.6 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (7 km NNE)
- M4.8 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (14 km S)
- M4.4 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (19 km W)
- M5.1 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (40 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (95 km E)
- M4.3 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (114 km WSW)
- M4.2 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (159 km NW)
- M4.9 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (184 km SW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (186 km SW)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.0 earthquake near San José del Palmar, Colombia —
- M4.8 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu —
- M5.0 earthquake near northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge —
- M4.7 earthquake near Shikotan, Russia —
- M4.8 earthquake near Isangel, Vanuatu —
- M4.8 earthquake near Hicks Bay, New Zealand —
- M4.6 earthquake near San Miguel, Philippines —
- M4.9 earthquake near Hihifo, Tonga —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.7 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 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Sola?
At 641 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 M4.7 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 M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 641 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?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the 2 hours since this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.8.
How often do earthquakes happen near Sola?
46 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.9 event near Sola on 28 May 2025. This M4.7 event released about 63 times less energy than that event.