Vanuatu earthquakes

M7.0 earthquake 148 km W of Sola, Vanuatu

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 148 km W of Sola, Vanuatu on Thu, Nov 28, 1985, 2:49 PM GMT+11 (03:49 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.1 112 km W of Sola, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 7.0 (mw), major
Local time: Thu, Nov 28, 1985, 2:49 PM GMT+11
UTC: 1985-11-28 03:49:54 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 13.987° S, 166.185° E
Region: Vanuatu
Strongest shaking: V, moderate shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 7.2% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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 2.5 and up: 85 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 85.

Before

Earthquakes today Vanuatu earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002nae (also filed as gcmtb112885c, gcmt19851128034953, atlas19851128034957, iscgem511984). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 6:04 AM UTC.