Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.7 earthquake 174 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 174 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu on Fri, Feb 27, 1981, 2:13 PM GMT+11 (03:13 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 136 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.7 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-02-27 03:13:37 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
21.078° S, 169.674° 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

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.7 and up: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 19 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.5161 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16627 days ago · 33 km deep · 71 km away
  2. 5.1136 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16624 days ago · 37 km deep · 69 km away
  3. 5.2102 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16623 days ago · 26 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 5.1164 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 16614 days ago · 49 km deep · 24 km away

Before

  1. 5.4152 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16644 days ago · 33 km deep · 46 km away
  2. 5.0155 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16644 days ago · 33 km deep · 43 km away
  3. 4.4southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 16645 days ago · 33 km deep · 29 km away
  4. 4.9135 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16645 days ago · 33 km deep · 85 km away
  5. 5.0140 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16646 days ago · 33 km deep · 62 km away
  6. 5.9134 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16646 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
  7. 4.2127 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16649 days ago · 33 km deep · 95 km away
  8. 4.9145 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16650 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
  9. 5.0150 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16650 days ago · 15 km deep · 47 km away
  10. 4.2125 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16650 days ago · 33 km deep · 67 km away
  11. 4.6135 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16651 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
  12. 4.7166 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16651 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
  13. 6.0163 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16651 days ago · 33 km deep · 56 km away
  14. 5.2137 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16651 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
  15. 4.5140 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16651 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
  16. 5.2153 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16652 days ago · 33 km deep · 40 km away
  17. 4.8108 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 16652 days ago · 40 km deep · 67 km away
  18. 4.4145 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16653 days ago · 33 km deep · 71 km away
  19. 6.7156 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 16653 days ago · 30 km deep · 80 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001cep. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:36 AM UTC.