August 10, 2010 Earthquake: Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands on August 10, 2010 at 05:23:44 UTC, 25 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
- August 10, 2010
- Time
- 05:23:44 UTC
- Place
- Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 25 km (16 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 17.541° S, 168.069° 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 (VII) at Port-Vila. Also felt at Longana
and Luganville. Felt at Noumea, New Caledonia. A 23-cm
tsunami (center-to-peak) was recorded at Port-Vila. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 17, 2024, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- November 26, 1999, Pentecost, Vanuatu Islands
- January 2, 2002, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- June 2, 2009, Tongoa, Vanuatu Islands
- November 22, 1905, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- November 24, 1905, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- July 31, 1893, Vanuatu Islands
- May 13, 1903, Vanuatu Islands
- May 29, 2009, Tongoa, Vanuatu Islands
- November 19, 1933, Malekula, Vanuatu Islands
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- January 24, 1927, Port Vila, Vanuatu
- August 20, 2011, Vanuatu Islands
- December 2, 1950, Vanuatu Islands
- February 2, 2012, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 2010The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2010Recent 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 9452.