M5.6 earthquake 56 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 56 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Tue, Aug 8, 1972, 10:16 AM GMT+11 (23:16 UTC), 180 km (112 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.3 46 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-08-07 23:16:39 UTC
- Depth
- 179.6 km (111.6 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.052° 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
- ±0.39
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 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 iscgem770356. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 1:30 AM UTC.