Vanuatu: USGS records magnitude 6.3 earthquake
The event occurred at 04:20:38 GMT on 20 October, at a depth of 16 km. Preliminary data and the official map require careful interpretation.
RockGeo Editorial · Published on
Event date: 10/20/2026 · Source date: 10/20/2026
Sources accessed on 10/20/2026, 15:09 GMT
USGS / NEIC ShakeMap · Public Domain
The USGS recorded a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on 20 October 2026 at 04:20:38 GMT, northwest of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. The catalogue identifies event us6000u3jl and reports a depth of 16 km. These preliminary earthquake-source parameters do not, by themselves, assess effects on nearby communities.
At consultation, the epicentre was listed at 13.9906° S and 165.5892° E, with a reference distance of 197 km northwest of Port-Olry. The origin product was reviewed but retained a preliminary evaluation. This distinction matters: review does not make location and magnitude final, and values may change as new observations are incorporated.
The associated ShakeMap provides another kind of information: the estimated distribution of shaking intensity, rather than only one magnitude for the event. The USGS supplies these maps for scientific information and earthquake response. The visualisation reproduced here is version 2, processed at 06:24:17 GMT on 20 October; the product is marked automatic.
The map is retained in full, including coordinates, scale and legend. Its heading still gives a distance of 204 km west-northwest of Port-Olry, while the consulted catalogue reports 197 km northwest. Both descriptions are preserved with their respective sources, without correcting the image or treating different product versions as one immutable record.
The USGS warns that automatic maps may contain errors and that estimated intensity is not equivalent to observations of effects on people or structures. The same intensity range also does not imply equal damage everywhere. This account therefore does not confirm casualties, damage or a tsunami warning: it records the event and the limits of available information.