Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 27 km ENE of Norsup, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 27 km ENE of Norsup, Vanuatu on Fri, Sep 8, 1978, 5:02 PM GMT+11 (06:02 UTC), 39 km (24 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
1978-09-08 06:02:48 UTC
Depth
39.0 km (24.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.961° S, 167.628° 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
43

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000wer (also filed as iscgem676462). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:09 AM UTC.