M5.6 earthquake 99 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 99 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu on Fri, Jan 27, 1961, 5:48 AM GMT+11 (18:48 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.1 144 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1961-01-26 18:48:54 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.438° S, 169.395° 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
- ±0.37
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem876018. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 1:48 AM UTC.