M5.9 earthquake 103 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 103 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Sun, Jul 9, 1961, 8:14 AM GMT+11 (21:14 UTC), 35 km (22 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.0 94 km S 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
- 5.9 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1961-07-08 21:14:01 UTC
- Depth
- 35.0 km (21.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.442° S, 169.015° 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
- ±0.79
- 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 4 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.885 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 23817 days ago · 35 km deep · 18 km away
- 6.094 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 23780 days ago · 50 km deep · 30 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgemsup876949. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC.