Vanuatu earthquakes

M6.4 earthquake 91 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 91 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu on Thu, Sep 14, 1972, 1:33 AM GMT+11 (14:33 UTC), 37 km (23 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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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.4 (mw), strong
Local time
UTC
1972-09-13 14:33:40 UTC
Depth
37.1 km (23.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
20.352° S, 169.118° 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
±0.30
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.4 and up: 12 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.7102 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 38 km deep · 25 km away
  2. 5.6117 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 20 km deep · 33 km away
  3. 5.774 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19737 days ago · 32 km deep · 52 km away
  4. 5.8123 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19737 days ago · 36 km deep · 51 km away
  5. 6.360 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19696 days ago · 30 km deep · 39 km away
  6. 7.068 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19689 days ago · 18 km deep · 34 km away
  7. 5.543 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 10 km deep · 49 km away
  8. 5.877 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 31 km deep · 39 km away
  9. 5.513 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 20 km deep · 92 km away
  10. 6.265 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 45 km deep · 26 km away
  11. 5.478 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19687 days ago · 34 km deep · 26 km away
  12. 5.821 km ESE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19682 days ago · 15 km deep · 89 km away

Before

  1. 5.2120 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 54 km deep · 43 km away
  2. 5.8104 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 15 km deep · 33 km away
  3. 5.3105 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 43 km deep · 42 km away
  4. 5.780 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19742 days ago · 52 km deep · 39 km away
  5. 6.291 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19743 days ago · 37 km deep · 38 km away
  6. 6.346 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19747 days ago · 50 km deep · 46 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem769369. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 10:09 PM UTC.