Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.5 earthquake 74 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 74 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on Mon, Dec 12, 1983, 1:02 AM GMT+12 (13:02 UTC), 54 km (34 mi) below the surface.

Port-Vila forecastMore in Vanuatu

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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
5.5 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1983-12-11 13:02:52 UTC
Depth
54.2 km (33.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
18.361° S, 168.047° 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 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.045 km SSE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 15600 days ago · 44 km deep · 47 km away
  2. 4.256 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 15583 days ago · 18 km deep · 95 km away

Before

  1. 4.655 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 15632 days ago · 33 km deep · 94 km away
  2. 4.260 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 15647 days ago · 10 km deep · 29 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00020dv (also filed as iscgem562710). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:19 AM UTC.