Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.8 earthquake 123 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 123 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Sat, Sep 16, 1972, 4:46 AM GMT+11 (17:46 UTC), 36 km (22 mi) below the surface.

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

Mont-Dore 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
5.8 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1972-09-15 17:46:54 UTC
Depth
36.1 km (22.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
20.479° S, 168.650° 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 2.8 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 10 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 6.360 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19696 days ago · 30 km deep · 63 km away
  2. 7.068 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19689 days ago · 18 km deep · 55 km away
  3. 5.543 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19689 days ago · 10 km deep · 83 km away
  4. 5.877 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19689 days ago · 31 km deep · 46 km away
  5. 6.265 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19688 days ago · 45 km deep · 68 km away
  6. 5.478 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19687 days ago · 34 km deep · 46 km away

Before

  1. 5.774 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19738 days ago · 32 km deep · 53 km away
  2. 5.6117 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19739 days ago · 20 km deep · 22 km away
  3. 5.7102 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 38 km deep · 26 km away
  4. 6.491 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 37 km deep · 51 km away
  5. 5.2120 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 54 km deep · 10 km away
  6. 5.8104 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 15 km deep · 20 km away
  7. 5.3105 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19740 days ago · 43 km deep · 18 km away
  8. 5.780 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19743 days ago · 52 km deep · 43 km away
  9. 6.291 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19743 days ago · 37 km deep · 32 km away
  10. 6.346 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 19748 days ago · 50 km deep · 78 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem769420. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 7:23 AM UTC.