January 24, 1927 Earthquake: Port Vila, Vanuatu
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Port Vila, Vanuatu on January 24, 1927 at 01:05:47 UTC, 30 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- January 24, 1927
- Time
- 01:05:47 UTC
- Place
- Port Vila, Vanuatu
- Magnitude
- 7.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 18.284° S, 167.756° E
- Country
- Vanuatu
- Region
- Central and South Pacific
- USGS record
- The USGS’s page for this earthquake
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
Sources NCEI cites
The publications NCEI lists for this record. The numbers match the “reference #” notes in its account above.
- #13456 U.S. Geological Survey (2017 to present). Earthquake Hazards Program, Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) Comprehensive Catalog of Earthquake Events and Products.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 17, 2024, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- December 2, 1950, Vanuatu Islands
- May 10, 1875, Vanuatu Islands
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- June 2, 2009, Tongoa, Vanuatu Islands
- July 23, 1961, Vanuatu Islands
- January 2, 2002, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- March 22, 1925, Vanuatu Islands
- July 31, 1893, Vanuatu Islands
- February 2, 2012, Vanuatu Islands
- November 22, 1905, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- November 24, 1905, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- August 10, 2010, Vanuatu Islands
- August 17, 1863, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 1927The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1927Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-10-01. NCEI earthquake 11001. The written accounts and the magnitude estimates are from the USGS earthquake catalog, event iscgem909067, matched to this record by time, place and magnitude.