July 6, 1987 Earthquake: Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands on July 6, 1987 at 02:49:42 UTC, 48 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 6, 1987
- Time
- 02:49:42 UTC
- Place
- Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 48 km (30 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 14.074° S, 167.828° E
- Country
- Vanuatu
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 27, 1971, Espiritu Santo, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- May 12, 1980, Vanuatu Islands
- November 27, 2002, Mere Lava Island, Vanuatu Islands
- November 22, 2023, Maewo, Vanuatu Islands
- April 3, 2016, Vanuatu Islands
- May 27, 2010, Vanuatu Islands
- August 11, 1970, Solomon Islands
- December 28, 1973, Espiritu Santo, Luganille, Vanuatu Islands
- December 21, 1985, Vanuatu Islands
- November 10, 1910, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- July 27, 1990, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- December 29, 1973, Luganville, Lamap, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1892, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1, 2007, Luganville, Vanuatu Islands
- July 8, 1909, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 1987The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1987Recent 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 6819.