M5.5 earthquake 61 km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 61 km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu on Fri, Oct 27, 1972, 9:48 AM GMT+11 (22:48 UTC), 155 km (96 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.8 83 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-10-26 22:48:35 UTC
- Depth
- 155.0 km (96.3 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 14.342° S, 167.249° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 1.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -1.0 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
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 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 iscgem768719. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 10:43 AM UTC.