M6.2 earthquake 41 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 41 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu on Fri, Mar 27, 1987, 3:17 AM GMT+11 (16:17 UTC), 191 km (119 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Mw, moment), strong
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-03-26 16:17:38 UTC
- Depth
- 191.0 km (118.7 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 13.731° S, 167.197° E
- Region
- Vanuatu
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 6.15 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 6.1 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 12S, 33C Centroid Location: Origin Time 16:17:44.6 0.2 Lat 13.78S 0.02 Lon 167.00E 0.02 Dep 193.5 0.6 Half-duration 4.6 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**18 Nm Mrr=1.99 0.03 Mtt=-0.26 0.05 Mff=-1.73 0.05 Mrt=0.18 0.04 Mrf=-0.45 0.03 Mtf=0.77 0.05 Principal Axes: (T) Val=2.05 Plg=83 Azm=71 (N) Val=0.07 Plg=0 Azm=337 (P) Val=-2.12 Plg=7 Azm=247 Best Double Couple:Mo=2.1*10**18 NP1:Strike=336 Dip=38 Slip=89 NP2:Strike=157 Dip=52 Slip=91
From the USGS event page for usp00033np. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 1.6% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.0 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
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
- CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 3.2 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.165 km NNE of Sola, Vanuatu · 14400 days ago · 33 km deep · 74 km away
- 5.654 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 14382 days ago · 177 km deep · 19 km away
- 4.559 km W of Sola, Vanuatu · 14377 days ago · 307 km deep · 27 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayVanuatu earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00033np (also filed as gcmtb032687d, gcmt19870326161738, iscgem473078). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 2:26 PM UTC.