Magnitude 6.0 earthquake — Port-Olry, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Port-Olry, Vanuatu at a depth of about 10 km. Details, shaking intensity and any tsunami information are on the USGS event page.
Explained simply
Vanuatu is an island nation in the south-west Pacific, where earthquakes are common because the Australia and Pacific plates meet. In this region, one plate moves beneath the other, building up pressure that can be released as seismic waves and cause the ground to shake.
Port-Olry is on Espiritu Santo, one of Vanuatu’s northern islands. The depth and location of an earthquake help scientists assess how it may affect nearby communities; a shallow quake can produce strong shaking near its source. Earthquakes beneath or near the sea can also raise questions about tsunami risk, which monitoring agencies assess separately.