M7.1 earthquake 146 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck 146 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu on Wed, Nov 4, 1953, 2:49 PM GMT+11 (03:49 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
- 7.1 (mw), major
- Local time
- UTC
- 1953-11-04 03:49:13 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 13.082° S, 166.464° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- VI, strong 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
- VI, strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 20.1% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.7 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
- ±0.56
- Depth from
- From location
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 iscgem892130. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC.