Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.0 earthquake 96 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 96 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu on Wed, May 14, 1980, 10:13 AM GMT+11 (23:13 UTC), 43 km (27 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 40 km ESE of Port-Olry, 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
5.0 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1980-05-13 23:13:39 UTC
Depth
43.0 km (26.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
14.637° S, 167.983° 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
56

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 7 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 usp000176q. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC.