Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.7 earthquake 87 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 87 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on Mon, Jul 20, 1981, 9:14 PM GMT+11 (10:14 UTC), 30 km (18 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 143 km SSW of Lakatoro, 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
4.7 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-07-20 10:14:57 UTC
Depth
29.7 km (18.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
16.884° S, 167.345° 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
FROM_LOCATION

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.7 and up: 19 in the 60 days after this one and 46 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001etv. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:20 AM UTC.