List of earthquakes in Vanuatu

Earthquakes happen often in Vanuatu, a group of islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The islands were once called New Hebrides. These earthquakes sometimes bring tsunamis, but they usually do not cause big damage.

People in Vanuatu live in buildings that can be easily shaken by earthquakes. Many of these buildings are made from lumber, which makes them less strong during shaking. Even so, some buildings are built to be stronger and can handle the earthquakes better.

Tectonic setting

The island chain of Vanuatu has a long trench called the New Hebrides Trench, where two large pieces of Earth's surface, called plates, push together. These plates are the Australian and Pacific plates. Earthquakes happen at different depths along this area, sometimes as deep as 700 kilometers.

Volcanoes also form along this line where the plates meet. The earthquakes and volcanoes happen because of the movement of these plates, which slowly change positions over time.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes happen often in Vanuatu, a group of islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. These earthquakes can sometimes cause tsunamis, but they usually do not cause much damage. Many buildings in Vanuatu are not very strong during earthquakes, though some can withstand the shaking. The islands sit on a place where tectonic plates meet, making earthquakes common in the area.