M5.3 earthquake Vanuatu region
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck in the Vanuatu region on Thu, May 10, 1979, 3:52 AM GMT+12 (15:52 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (mb, body-wave), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1979-05-09 15:52:57 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 19.633° S, 173.495° 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
- 40
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00010hj. Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 8:11 AM UTC.