Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in Vanuatu on Tue, Jan 1, 1985, 4:09 AM GMT+12 (16:09 UTC), 180 km (112 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.8 70 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.1 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1984-12-31 16:09:43 UTC
Depth
179.8 km (111.7 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
19.297° S, 169.378° 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 2.1 and up: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.794 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15236 days ago · 252 km deep · 70 km away
  2. 5.394 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15214 days ago · 217 km deep · 74 km away
  3. 4.679 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15199 days ago · 266 km deep · 52 km away
  4. 5.870 km NW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15187 days ago · 49 km deep · 68 km away

Before

  1. 4.8100 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15263 days ago · 248 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 4.512 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15268 days ago · 122 km deep · 21 km away
  3. 5.378 km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 15274 days ago · 38 km deep · 77 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002akk. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 3:28 PM UTC.