Melanesia
What tectonic plate is Vanuatu on?
Vanuatu sits entirely on the New Hebrides Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 223
- Holocene volcanoes
- 12
- Land area
- 11,292 km²
Plates under Vanuatu
Share of Vanuatu's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Vanuatu: the Pacific-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.2 cm/yr), the New Hebrides-Australian boundary (convergent, about 11.4 cm/yr) and the New Hebrides-Pacific boundary (divergent, about 1.1 cm/yr).
- Pacific and Australian: convergent, 5.2 cm/yr
- New Hebrides and Australian: convergent, 11.4 cm/yr
- New Hebrides and Pacific: divergent, 1.1 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the New Hebrides-Australian boundary, where the plates move about 11.4 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Vanuatu
Vanuatu is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 223 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Vanuatu since 1900, which ranks it 7 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu Earthquake | M8.1 | 1920 | 25 km | New Hebrides |
| 99 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | M7.9 | 1950 | 30 km | New Hebrides |
| 28 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu | M7.8 | 1910 | 100 km | New Hebrides |
| 186 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu | M7.8 | 1957 | 124 km | Pacific |
| 196 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu | M7.8 | 2009 | 35 km | Pacific |
| 45 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | M7.7 | 1965 | 50 km | New Hebrides |
Volcanoes in Vanuatu
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 12 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Vanuatu.
- Ambae Shield · 1,496 m Last eruption 2026
- Yasur Stratovolcano · 361 m Last eruption 2026
- Ambrym Shield(pyroclastic) · 1,334 m Last eruption 2024
- East Epi Stratovolcano(es) · 833 m Last eruption 2023
- Gaua Stratovolcano · 729 m Last eruption 2022
- Lopevi Stratovolcano · 1,413 m Last eruption 2007
- Gemini-Oscostar Stratovolcano · -33 m Last eruption 1996
- Kuwae Caldera · -2 m Last eruption 1974
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Vanuatu on?
Vanuatu sits entirely on the New Hebrides Plate.
Is Vanuatu on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Vanuatu: the Pacific-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.2 cm/yr), the New Hebrides-Australian boundary (convergent, about 11.4 cm/yr) and the New Hebrides-Pacific boundary (divergent, about 1.1 cm/yr).
Does Vanuatu get earthquakes?
Vanuatu is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 223 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Vanuatu since 1900, which ranks it 7 of 213 countries. The largest was the M8.1 Vanuatu Earthquake in 1920.
Are there volcanoes in Vanuatu?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 12 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Vanuatu.