Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 71 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 71 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on Wed, Aug 29, 1979, 4:00 AM GMT+11 (17:00 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.3 78 km WNW of Port-Vila, 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.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.8 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1979-08-28 17:00:35 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
17.409° S, 167.734° 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.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
45

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 14 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.971 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17197 days ago · 33 km deep · 22 km away
  2. 5.378 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17194 days ago · 33 km deep · 25 km away
  3. 4.370 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17177 days ago · 10 km deep · 22 km away
  4. 5.045 km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17177 days ago · 33 km deep · 78 km away
  5. 3.975 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17163 days ago · 35 km deep · 29 km away
  6. 3.980 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17146 days ago · 33 km deep · 17 km away
  7. 4.2130 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17140 days ago · 33 km deep · 91 km away

Before

  1. 4.161 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17200 days ago · 33 km deep · 21 km away
  2. 4.860 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17201 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  3. 4.084 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17201 days ago · 10 km deep · 27 km away
  4. 5.176 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17201 days ago · 33 km deep · 13 km away
  5. 4.769 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17201 days ago · 17 km deep · 24 km away
  6. 6.067 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17201 days ago · 10 km deep · 30 km away
  7. 4.855 km WSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17208 days ago · 33 km deep · 69 km away
  8. 4.370 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17209 days ago · 33 km deep · 31 km away
  9. 4.240 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17209 days ago · 33 km deep · 42 km away
  10. 4.384 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17209 days ago · 10 km deep · 38 km away
  11. 5.070 km WSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17210 days ago · 15 km deep · 55 km away
  12. 5.760 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17210 days ago · 39 km deep · 27 km away
  13. 5.4Vanuatu · 17210 days ago · 23 km deep · 35 km away
  14. 6.149 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 17210 days ago · 17 km deep · 36 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00012pc. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC.