Strong M6.2 Earthquake struck on Friday Morning in the Coral Sea 298km from Port-Vila (Vanuatu).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on October 29th, 2026. Last updated October 30th, 2026.

In the Coral Sea 298 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu, a strong M6.2 earthquake occurred in the morning of Friday October 30th, 2026. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 120 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, 32 kilometers (20 mi) off the coast of Vanuatu, 298 kilometer north of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 143 km.

Date and Time:	Oct 30, 2026 08:46AM (Efate Time) - Oct 29, 2026 21:46 Universal Time.
Location:	298 km north of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 15°11'21"S 167°27'8"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.2 Detected by 70 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 .
Depth:	143 km (89 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to 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 120 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 120 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 119,100 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, 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
0	II	Very weak	None
5,230	III	Weak	Probably none
119,100	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 may have been felt in Vanuatu . Located 298 kilometer (185 mi) north of the epicenter of this earthquake, Port-Vila (Shefa, Vanuatu) is the nearest significant population center.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
298 km (185 mi) S from epicenter	Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.

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 4 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within 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:

Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu: 2 people.
Port Olry, Sanma, Vanuatu: 1 person.
Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 22 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 5.4

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 5.4	22 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2026 11:08AM (Efate Time)	70 km (43 mi) E from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.9	21 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2026 11:57AM (Efate Time)	79 km (49 mi) E from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.2	Oct 30, 2026 08:46AM (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 October 24th, 2026, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 213 km (132 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on March 30th, 2026.

In total, 22 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.2 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.

Tsunami very unlikely

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.

For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always 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 6.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 143 km (89 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 30/10/26 09:08 (). 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.