Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 126 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 126 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on Tue, Jul 21, 1981, 2:33 AM GMT+11 (15:33 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 143 km SSW of Lakatoro, 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
4.5 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-07-20 15:33:24 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
17.167° S, 166.992° 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 1.5 and up: 18 in the 60 days after this one and 47 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.9143 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16500 days ago · 22 km deep · 19 km away
  2. 4.3133 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16500 days ago · 33 km deep · 45 km away
  3. 4.5109 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16498 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
  4. 4.795 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16498 days ago · 21 km deep · 59 km away
  5. 4.5109 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16498 days ago · 27 km deep · 58 km away
  6. 4.5117 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16498 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
  7. 4.7128 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16498 days ago · 33 km deep · 30 km away
  8. 4.681 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16495 days ago · 33 km deep · 45 km away
  9. 3.8120 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16494 days ago · 33 km deep · 85 km away
  10. 4.485 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16494 days ago · 33 km deep · 68 km away
  11. 4.898 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16492 days ago · 33 km deep · 67 km away
  12. 5.078 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16491 days ago · 33 km deep · 49 km away
  13. 4.5126 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16491 days ago · 33 km deep · 52 km away
  14. 5.084 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16490 days ago · 33 km deep · 56 km away
  15. 4.6106 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16480 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  16. 5.0105 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16480 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  17. 4.5114 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16480 days ago · 33 km deep · 44 km away
  18. 4.578 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16478 days ago · 33 km deep · 51 km away

Before

  1. 4.787 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16500 days ago · 30 km deep · 49 km away
  2. 5.1132 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16501 days ago · 27 km deep · 13 km away
  3. 5.5106 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16501 days ago · 46 km deep · 57 km away
  4. 4.691 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16502 days ago · 33 km deep · 69 km away
  5. 4.1Vanuatu · 16502 days ago · 33 km deep · 36 km away
  6. 4.796 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16502 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
  7. 4.791 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16502 days ago · 33 km deep · 49 km away
  8. 4.7112 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16502 days ago · 33 km deep · 48 km away
  9. 4.8119 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 25 km away
  10. 4.6121 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  11. 4.7121 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 23 km away
  12. 5.0106 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 49 km away
  13. 4.686 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 67 km away
  14. 4.665 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16503 days ago · 33 km deep · 100 km away
  15. 5.195 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 34 km deep · 68 km away
  16. 4.368 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 33 km deep · 86 km away
  17. 4.359 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 33 km deep · 95 km away
  18. 4.495 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
  19. 4.684 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 33 km deep · 81 km away
  20. 4.4100 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 16504 days ago · 33 km deep · 64 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001eu0. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:01 PM UTC.