February 12, 1994 Earthquake: Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands on February 12, 1994 at 17:58:23 UTC, 27 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
- February 12, 1994
- Time
- 17:58:23 UTC
- Place
- Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 27 km (17 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 20.553° S, 169.361° E
- Country
- Vanuatu
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.
Felt at Port-Vila. Two events about 6.5 seconds apart. Depth from broadband displacement seismograms, based on first event. (reference #13456)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 28, 1875, Lifou Island, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- March 25, 2007, Vanuatu Islands
- December 7, 2023, Tanna Island, Vanuatu
- June 1, 1910, Vanuatu Islands
- April 9, 2008, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- April 28, 2008, Vanuatu Islands
- November 2, 1972, Tanna, Anatom, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- January 13, 2011, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- November 19, 2017, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- September 20, 1920, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- October 14, 1913, Vanuatu Islands
- May 10, 2011, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- October 31, 2017, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- November 19, 2017, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- November 1, 2017, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1994The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1994Recent 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 10781.