July 27, 1990 Earthquake: Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands on July 27, 1990 at 12:37:59 UTC, 126 km below the surface.
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 27, 1990
- Time
- 12:37:59 UTC
- Place
- Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 126 km (78 mi)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 15.355° S, 167.464° E
- Country
- Vanuatu
The toll
- Injuries
- 2
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
1990, July 27. Two people injured and many buildings damaged on Espiritu Santo. Felt (V) at Mont Dzumoc, New Caledonia
and Suva, Fiji. Two events about 5 sec. apart. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- November 26, 1999, Pentecost, Vanuatu Islands
- October 27, 1971, Espiritu Santo, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- July 8, 1909, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1, 2007, Luganville, Vanuatu Islands
- March 19, 1905, Malo Pass, Vanuatu
- August 11, 1965, Vanuatu Islands
- December 29, 1973, Luganville, Lamap, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1892, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- November 22, 2023, Maewo, Vanuatu Islands
- April 28, 2016, Vanuatu Islands
- August 13, 1965, Vanuatu Islands
- November 27, 2002, Mere Lava Island, Vanuatu Islands
- July 5, 1964, Espiritu Santo Islands, Vanuatu Islands
- May 12, 1980, Vanuatu Islands
- April 3, 2016, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 1990The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1990Recent 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 5256.