M6.5 earthquake 53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on Sun, Sep 9, 1945, 3:03 PM GMT+11 (04:03 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
- 6.5 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1945-09-09 04:03:02 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.485° S, 167.884° 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
- 7.4% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.8 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
- ±0.42
- 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: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem899087. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:32 AM UTC.