M4.2 earthquake 47 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu
A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 47 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu on Mon, May 25, 1981, 7:44 AM GMT+11 (20:44 UTC), 206 km (128 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.5 63 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.2 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-05-24 20:44:53 UTC
- Depth
- 206.1 km (128.1 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.375° S, 168.869° 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.
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 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 usp0001dus. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:43 AM UTC.