Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.7 earthquake 23 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 23 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on Thu, Mar 19, 1981, 9:49 PM GMT+11 (10:49 UTC), 110 km (68 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 57 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecastMore in Vanuatu

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.7 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-03-19 10:49:19 UTC
Depth
110.0 km (68.4 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
14.858° S, 167.191° 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 1.7 and up: 2 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 usp0001cse. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:03 AM UTC.