April 28, 2016 Earthquake: Vanuatu Islands
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands on April 28, 2016 at 19:33:24 UTC, 24 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
- April 28, 2016
- Time
- 19:33:24 UTC
- Place
- Vanuatu Islands
- Magnitude
- 7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 24 km (15 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 16.043° S, 167.379° 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 Luganville. Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu - CDI: 7 Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu - CDI: 4 (reference #13456)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 17, 2024, Efate, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- November 26, 1999, Pentecost, Vanuatu Islands
- October 27, 1971, Espiritu Santo, Port Vila, Vanuatu Islands
- August 11, 1965, Vanuatu Islands
- March 19, 1905, Malo Pass, Vanuatu
- August 1, 2007, Luganville, Vanuatu Islands
- July 8, 1909, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- August 13, 1965, Vanuatu Islands
- July 13, 1994, Vanuatu Islands
- July 27, 1990, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- February 19, 2015, Vanuatu Islands
- December 15, 2018, Ambrym Island, Vanuatu Islands
- November 19, 1933, Malekula, Vanuatu Islands
- August 1892, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu Islands
- July 5, 1964, Espiritu Santo Islands, Vanuatu Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 2016The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2016Recent 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 10179.