M7.0 earthquake 72 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 72 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Tue, May 31, 1938, 1:29 AM GMT+11 (14:29 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 7.0 (mw), major
- Local time
- UTC
- 1938-05-30 14:29:52 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 19.990° S, 168.780° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- V, moderate shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- V, moderate shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 9.5% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.3 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
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
- ±0.39
- 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: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.8118 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 32241 days ago · 15 km deep · 84 km away
- 6.6113 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 32233 days ago · 45 km deep · 91 km away
- 6.136 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 32226 days ago · 35 km deep · 36 km away
- 5.6139 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 32221 days ago · 35 km deep · 99 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem902508. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:43 AM UTC.