M6.2 earthquake 62 km WSW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 62 km WSW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Sun, May 22, 1938, 7:22 PM GMT+11 (08:22 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M7.0 72 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1938-05-22 08:22:13 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 19.825° S, 168.763° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem902496. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:11 AM UTC.