Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.6 earthquake 118 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 118 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu on Fri, May 1, 1981, 12:49 AM GMT+11 (13:49 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 142 km W of Sola, 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
4.6 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-04-30 13:49:33 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
13.617° S, 166.487° 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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.6 and up: 8 in the 60 days after this one and 19 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.2142 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16580 days ago · 33 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 4.8115 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16577 days ago · 41 km deep · 39 km away
  3. 5.1144 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16577 days ago · 35 km deep · 43 km away
  4. 4.4133 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16556 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
  5. 4.6149 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16555 days ago · 33 km deep · 52 km away
  6. 4.4123 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16537 days ago · 73 km deep · 14 km away
  7. 4.847 km SW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16528 days ago · 189 km deep · 95 km away
  8. 4.1111 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16525 days ago · 199 km deep · 82 km away

Before

  1. 4.5Vanuatu · 16582 days ago · 33 km deep · 51 km away
  2. 4.3143 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16584 days ago · 33 km deep · 31 km away
  3. 5.5134 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 43 km away
  4. 4.6115 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 23 km away
  5. 4.5109 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 42 km away
  6. 4.5116 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 2 km away
  7. 4.2136 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  8. 4.9110 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16585 days ago · 33 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 4.4166 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
  10. 5.1111 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 16 km away
  11. 5.2113 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 29 km away
  12. 4.5142 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 76 km deep · 39 km away
  13. 4.7150 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 35 km away
  14. 4.4102 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 16 km away
  15. 5.3105 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 14 km away
  16. 5.9102 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 22 km away
  17. 4.9111 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 17 km away
  18. 6.9132 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16586 days ago · 33 km deep · 22 km away
  19. 4.8135 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 16604 days ago · 65 km deep · 24 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001dfa. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:14 AM UTC.