Sonali Tiwary
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu on Saturday, October 24, triggering coastal wave advisories that were subsequently lifted after monitoring agencies reassessed the threat.
The earthquake occurred 197 kilometers west-northwest of Port Olry, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially assessed the larger event at magnitude 7.2 before the U.S. Geological Survey issued a revised magnitude of 6.9 following additional seismic analysis. A magnitude 6.3 aftershock followed within minutes, and at least nine earthquakes ranging from 4.5 to 6.9 in magnitude have since been recorded in the region.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center first warned of possible hazardous waves within 300 kilometers of the epicenter. After reassessing sea-level observations and seismic data, authorities lifted all advisories. Vanuatu's Geological Hazards Department confirmed there is no longer a tsunami threat to coastal communities. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology reported that no threat was assessed for the Australian coast.
No injuries and no structural damage have been reported. The immediate threat has passed.
Vanuatu sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic and volcanic activity stretching across the Pacific basin. Magnitude 6 to 7 earthquakes in the region occur regularly. The shallow depth of this event — 10 kilometers — raises the potential for tsunami generation in seismic events, which is why monitoring systems activated immediately. The decision to lift the warning was based on observed sea-level measurements across monitoring networks, not on magnitude alone.
Aftershocks remain a normal pattern after an earthquake of this size and are possible in the days following the main event. Residents in coastal areas of northern Vanuatu were advised to monitor updates from local emergency management authorities.
