Earthquake.now

M5.6 Earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu — 23 January 2025

A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.6 was recorded near Sola, Vanuatu on , with an epicentre 187 km northeast of Sola, at a focal depth of 621.4 km. It was the strongest of the 20 earthquakes recorded in Vanuatu in the preceding 30 days.

5.6 Moderate

Time (UTC): 2025-01-23 11:14:03

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 5.6 (moderate)

Focal depth: 621.4 km (deep)

Epicentre: -12.8369, 168.9190

Location: 187 km NE of Sola, Vanuatu

Country: Vanuatu

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,788 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 482, 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 22:29 local solar time at the epicentre, late at night.

This event was deeper than 97% of the 282 earthquakes recorded in Vanuatu in our catalogue and stronger than 93% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -12.8369, 168.9190 — 187 km northeast of Sola. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.7 earthquake 7 km south-southwest of here on 10 August 2026.

The nearest other settlement in our records is Port-Olry (269 km southwest).

Why the 621 km depth matters

At 621 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.

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 M5.6 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 621 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.

49 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Port-Olry on 16 August 2026. This M5.6 event released about 5.6 times less energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

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

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Vanuatu during January 2025. 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 5 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 5 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Sola?

It measured magnitude 5.6 — a moderate earthquake. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,788 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Sola?

The focus was 621 km below the surface, which counts as deep.

Was the Sola earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 5.6 and a focal depth of 621 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Sola happen?

23 January 2025 at 11:14 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 Sola?

49 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.1 event near Port-Olry on 16 August 2026. This M5.6 event released about 5.6 times less energy than that event.