Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.7 earthquake 41 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 41 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on Wed, Aug 18, 1965, 3:17 AM GMT+11 (16:17 UTC), 34 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.2 41 km W of Norsup, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecastMore in Vanuatu

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.7 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1965-08-17 16:17:45 UTC
Depth
33.8 km (21.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.202° S, 166.721° 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
12.2% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
2.1 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
±0.20
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 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 6.241 km W of Norsup, Vanuatu · 22315 days ago · 25 km deep · 94 km away
  2. 5.939 km ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22304 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away

Before

  1. 6.043 km SW of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22319 days ago · 17 km deep · 70 km away
  2. 5.644 km SW of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22320 days ago · 21 km deep · 76 km away
  3. 5.944 km W of Norsup, Vanuatu · 22320 days ago · 24 km deep · 94 km away
  4. 7.631 km S of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22322 days ago · 48 km deep · 83 km away
  5. 6.026 km SSE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22322 days ago · 30 km deep · 83 km away
  6. 6.922 km S of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22322 days ago · 31 km deep · 72 km away
  7. 5.817 km SE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22322 days ago · 21 km deep · 76 km away
  8. 7.221 km WNW of Luganville, Vanuatu · 22323 days ago · 18 km deep · 40 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem854706. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:51 PM UTC.