November 4, 1953 Earthquake: Solomon Islands
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Solomon Islands on November 4, 1953 at 03:49:13 UTC, 35 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
- November 4, 1953
- Time
- 03:49:13 UTC
- Place
- Solomon Islands
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 35 km (22 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 13.189° S, 166.516° E
- Country
- Solomon Islands
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1953, Nov 4 03:49:13.19 UTC. -13.189 S 166.516 E, depth 35 km, 7.5 Mw P&S, 7.4 Ms ABE1, 7.3 mB ABE1, 7.4 UK B&D, 7.4 UK PAS. (reference #9910)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 7, 2009, Vanuatu Islands
- May 27, 2010, Vanuatu Islands
- April 21, 1997, Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
- October 7, 2009, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
- December 21, 1985, Vanuatu Islands
- July 8, 1980, Banks, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
- November 10, 1910, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- August 5, 1982, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
- November 28, 1985, Vanuatu Islands
- December 31, 1966, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
- July 17, 1980, Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands
- December 17, 1957, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands
- August 11, 1970, Solomon Islands
- April 3, 2016, Vanuatu Islands
- December 28, 1973, Espiritu Santo, Luganille, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 1953The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1953Recent 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 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 9959.