M6.9 earthquake 150 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 150 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu on Tue, Jan 21, 1964, 4:08 AM GMT+11 (17:08 UTC), 138 km (85 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.9 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1964-01-20 17:08:37 UTC
- Depth
- 137.5 km (85.4 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 20.744° S, 169.957° 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
- 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
- ±0.30
- 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 iscgem871406 (also filed as atlas19640120170837). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:09 AM UTC.