M4.8 Earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — 10 August 2026
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.8 was recorded near Sola, Vanuatu on , with an epicentre 173 km east-northeast of Sola, at a focal depth of 655.7 km.
Time (UTC): 2026-08-10 12:46:10
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.8 (light)
Focal depth: 655.7 km (deep)
Epicentre: -13.0188, 168.8920
Location: 173 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 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 354, 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 -13.0188, 168.8920 — 173 km east-northeast of Sola. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.7 earthquake 14 km north of here on 10 August 2026.
Why the 656 km depth matters
At 656 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 M4.8 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 656 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 2 hours since this event.
50 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 M4.8 event released about 45 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
- M4.7 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (14 km N)
- M5.6 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (20 km N)
- M4.4 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (26 km NW)
- M5.1 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (47 km NE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (97 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (110 km WSW)
- M4.2 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (171 km NW)
- M4.9 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (177 km WSW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — (180 km WSW)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.0 earthquake near San José del Palmar, Colombia —
- M5.0 earthquake near northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge —
- M4.7 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu —
- 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 4.8 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 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Sola?
At 656 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 M4.8 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 M4.8 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 656 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 2 hours since this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Sola?
50 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 M4.8 event released about 45 times less energy than that event.