Vanuatu earthquakes

M6.3 earthquake 46 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 46 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Wed, Sep 6, 1972, 4:30 AM GMT+11 (17:30 UTC), 50 km (31 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.0 68 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.3 (mw), strong
Local time
UTC
1972-09-05 17:30:36 UTC
Depth
50.1 km (31.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
19.935° S, 169.128° E
Region
Vanuatu
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

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 3.3 and up: 16 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 6.291 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19742 days ago · 37 km deep · 48 km away
  2. 5.780 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19742 days ago · 52 km deep · 38 km away
  3. 5.3105 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 43 km deep · 61 km away
  4. 5.8104 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 15 km deep · 59 km away
  5. 5.2120 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 54 km deep · 75 km away
  6. 6.491 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 37 km deep · 46 km away
  7. 5.7102 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 38 km deep · 56 km away
  8. 5.6117 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19738 days ago · 20 km deep · 71 km away
  9. 5.774 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19737 days ago · 32 km deep · 38 km away
  10. 5.8123 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19736 days ago · 36 km deep · 78 km away
  11. 6.360 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19695 days ago · 30 km deep · 17 km away
  12. 7.068 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 18 km deep · 24 km away
  13. 5.543 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 10 km deep · 4 km away
  14. 5.877 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19687 days ago · 31 km deep · 35 km away
  15. 5.513 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19687 days ago · 20 km deep · 50 km away
  16. 6.265 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19687 days ago · 45 km deep · 23 km away

Before

  1. 5.656 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19775 days ago · 180 km deep · 98 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem769104. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 2:46 AM UTC.