M7.0 earthquake 68 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 68 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Fri, Nov 3, 1972, 6:55 AM GMT+11 (19:55 UTC), 18 km (11 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 7.0 (mw), major
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-11-02 19:55:21 UTC
- Depth
- 17.8 km (11.1 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.085° S, 168.967° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- V, moderate 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
- V, moderate shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 9.2% 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: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.543 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19681 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
- 5.877 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19681 days ago · 31 km deep · 13 km away
- 5.513 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19680 days ago · 20 km deep · 74 km away
- 6.265 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19680 days ago · 45 km deep · 24 km away
- 5.478 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19679 days ago · 34 km deep · 11 km away
- 5.821 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19675 days ago · 15 km deep · 74 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem766936 (also filed as atlas19721102195524). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:01 AM UTC.