Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.9 earthquake 77 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 77 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu on Sun, Feb 26, 1978, 3:57 AM GMT+11 (16:57 UTC), 271 km (168 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.9 20 km WSW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecastMore in Vanuatu

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
4.9 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1978-02-25 16:57:57 UTC
Depth
271.0 km (168.4 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
18.997° S, 169.748° 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.

Stations used
9

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 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 usp0000t55. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:11 PM UTC.