Vanuatu earthquakes

M6.9 earthquake 26 km N of Norsup, Vanuatu

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 26 km N of Norsup, Vanuatu on Thu, Aug 12, 1965, 7:01 PM GMT+11 (08:01 UTC), 48 km (30 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.4 43 km W of Norsup, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecast More in Vanuatu

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.9 (mw), strong
Local time: Thu, Aug 12, 1965, 7:01 PM GMT+11
UTC: 1965-08-12 08:01:48 UTC
Depth: 47.6 km (29.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 15.833° S, 167.443° 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: 22.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.9 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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.

Port-Vila, VanuatuPopulation 35,901. Forecast231 kmNNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Vanuatu earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem854500 (also filed as atlas19650812080149). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:43 AM UTC.