M6.0 earthquake 79 km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 79 km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on Fri, Jan 28, 1966, 4:42 PM GMT+11 (05:42 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.6 22 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.0 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1966-01-28 05:42:17 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.053° S, 168.537° 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
- 14.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 2.3 cm/s
- 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: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem851301 (also filed as atlas19660128054215). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:07 PM UTC.