Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.0 earthquake 50 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 50 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Mon, Aug 18, 1980, 7:36 AM GMT+11 (20:36 UTC), 130 km (81 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 50 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

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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
5.0 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1980-08-17 20:36:47 UTC
Depth
130.0 km (80.8 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
19.193° S, 168.971° 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
38

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 10 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00019ee. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:02 AM UTC.