Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 99 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 99 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on Sat, May 13, 1978, 3:07 PM GMT+11 (04:07 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

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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
5.3 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1978-05-13 04:07:26 UTC
Depth
15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
16.994° S, 167.484° 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
77

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.217 km ESE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17662 days ago · 47 km deep · 96 km away
  2. 4.997 km ESE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17633 days ago · 80 km deep · 88 km away

Before

  1. 4.6103 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17672 days ago · 33 km deep · 5 km away
  2. 5.198 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17677 days ago · 33 km deep · 11 km away
  3. 4.999 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17677 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  4. 5.4102 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 17677 days ago · 33 km deep · 6 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000uhb (also filed as iscgem682198). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 10:25 AM UTC.