Shallow M5.8 Earthquake hit in the Coral Sea 285km from Port-Vila (Vanuatu) on Wednesday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 8th, 2026.

In the evening of Wednesday July 8th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.8 earthquake hit in the Coral Sea 285 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu. Roughly 70 thousand people may have felt this earthquake. Another country near the epicenter is New Caledonia.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 89 kilometers (56 mi) off the coast of Vanuatu, 285 kilometer south of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 8, 2026 08:50PM (Efate Time) - Jul 8, 2026 09:50 Universal Time.
Location:	334 km NE of Nouméa, South Province, New Caledonia. Coordinates 20°15'21"S 168°50'7"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 33 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.054 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 70 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 70 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 17,300 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 50 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Vanuatu , around 50 thousand people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In New Caledonia , around 20 thousand people.

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
50,400	III	Weak	Probably none
17,300	IV	Light	Likely none
0	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 struck within proximity of multiple countries. Vanuatu and New Caledonia are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.

Port-Vila in Shefa, Vanuatu is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 285 kilometer (177 mi) south of Port-Vila.

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
285 km (177 mi) N from epicenter	Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu.
324 km (201 mi) SW from epicenter	Mont-Dore South Province, New Caledonia.
325 km (202 mi) SW from epicenter	Dumbéa South Province, New Caledonia.
334 km (208 mi) SW from epicenter	Nouméa South Province, New Caledonia.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. 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.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5 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 5.0	2 days earlier Jul 7, 2026 07:51AM (Efate Time)	22 km (14 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Main Shock	M 5.2	Jul 8, 2026 10:42PM (Efate Time)	-

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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 March 20th, 2026, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 119 km (74 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on December 5th, 2018.

In total, 56 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 2 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 5.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 08/07/26 18:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.