Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 33 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 33 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on Mon, May 1, 1978, 5:59 AM GMT+11 (18:59 UTC), 141 km (88 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.7 63 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecastMore in Vanuatu

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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
5.2 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1978-04-30 18:59:07 UTC
Depth
141.0 km (87.6 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
14.805° S, 167.266° 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
81

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 5 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 usp0000ube (also filed as iscgem684439). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:25 AM UTC.