July 23, 1961 Earthquake: Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands on July 23, 1961 at 21:51:10 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
- July 23, 1961
- Time
- 21:51:10 UTC
- Place
- Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 7.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 35 km (22 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 18.421° S, 168.411° E
- Country
- Vanuatu
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #414:
1961, July 23 21:51:07 UTC, [July 24 8:51 local time]. There was a 6-degree earthquake on the islands of Efate and Eromanga. The earthquake was 4 degrees on the islands of Tanna, Epi, Malekula and the Loyaute Islands. About 10 minutes after the earthquake, a tsunami with a range of oscillations of 1-1.5 m was observed in the Port Vila roadstead and at Torari [incorrect spelling of Forari] (Efate Island). Minor damage was done at both places.
[23.VII; 21h51m07s; 18.5 S., 168.5 E.; 45 km; M=6.8]
Reference #9910:
1961, July 23 21:51:10.45 UTC, 18.421 S, 168.411 E, 35 km, 7.3 Mw P&S, 7.3 Ms ABE1, 7.3 Ms P&S, 7.2 mB ABE1, 7.2 UK B&D.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 28, 1875, Lifou Island, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- December 17, 2024, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- March 22, 1925, Vanuatu Islands
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- May 10, 1875, Vanuatu Islands
- August 17, 1863, Vanuatu Islands
- January 10, 1878, Tanna Island, Vanuatu
- February 11, 1878, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1878, Vanuatu Islands
- April 14, 2012, Vanuatu Islands
- January 24, 1927, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- July 31, 1893, Vanuatu Islands
- November 10, 1913, Vanuatu Islands
- November 22, 1905, Port Vila, Vanuatu
More
Significant earthquakes of 1961The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1961Recent 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 6398.