Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake 43 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 43 km N of Isangel, Vanuatu on Wed, Aug 7, 1985, 8:00 PM GMT+11 (09:00 UTC), 262 km (163 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 59 km E 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
5.1 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1985-08-07 09:00:25 UTC
Depth
262.3 km (163.0 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
19.150° S, 169.323° 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: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002hfg. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:41 PM UTC.