Vanuatu earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 53 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu on Sun, Jan 5, 1986, 1:36 AM GMT+12 (13:36 UTC), 27 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.4 82 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu. This one was a foreshock.

Port-Vila forecast More in Vanuatu

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.3 (ms), moderate
Local time: Sun, Jan 5, 1986, 1:36 AM GMT+12
UTC: 1986-01-04 13:36:33 UTC
Depth: 26.6 km (16.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 17.558° S, 167.850° 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.

Port-Vila, VanuatuPopulation 35,901. Forecast53 kmWNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Vanuatu earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0002prk (also filed as iscgem504947). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:45 PM UTC.