On Sunday Night a Strong M6.1 Earthquake struck in the Coral Sea near Port-Vila (Vanuatu).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on December 21st, 2024. Last updated December 25th, 2024.

A strong M6.1 earthquake struck in the Coral Sea 30 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu in the night of Sunday December 22nd, 2024. Around 180 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, right off the coast of Vanuatu (8 mi offshore), 30 kilometer west of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 46 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Dec 22, 2024 02:30AM (Efate Time) - Dec 21, 2024 15:30 Universal Time.
Location:	30 km west of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 17°42'35"S 168°1'45"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.1 Detected by 66 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 .
Depth:	46 km (29 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 180 thousand people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 180 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is V, which corresponds with moderate shaking and very light damage. Roughly 2,200 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 100 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Vanuatu .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
1,980	II	Very weak	None
80,110	III	Weak	Probably none
95,620	IV	Light	Likely none
2,200	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Vanuatu . Located 30 kilometer (19 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Port-Vila (Shefa, Vanuatu) is the nearest significant population center. Port-Vila experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
30 km (19 mi) E from epicenter	Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu.	IV Light

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 15 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 15 people have reported shaking in one place in Vanuatu.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu: 15 people.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 9 km (6 mi) southwest of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 2 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 3 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 5.2	3 days earlier Dec 19, 2024 04:53AM (Efate Time)	8 km (5 mi) N from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.8	22 hrs earlier Dec 21, 2024 04:04AM (Efate Time)	34 km (21 mi) SSW from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.1	Dec 22, 2024 02:30AM (Efate Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.8	3 days later Dec 25, 2024 01:12AM (Efate Time)	9 km (6 mi) SW from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 17th, 2024, when a 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit 2.7 km (1.7 mi) further north. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 20 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 6 months.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 46 km (29 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 25/12/24 15:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.