Vanuatu earthquakes

M4.2 earthquake 78 km NNE of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 78 km NNE of Isangel, Vanuatu on Fri, May 24, 1985, 11:10 AM GMT+11 (00:10 UTC), 277 km (172 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 46 km NW of Isangel, 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
4.2 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1985-05-24 00:10:22 UTC
Depth
277.1 km (172.2 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
18.901° S, 169.605° 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
FROM_LOCATION

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002f4m. Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 5:29 AM UTC.