Reviewed by USGSVanuatu62y ago
M6.2 earthquake 63 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu
Friday, August 13, 1965, 17:56:30 UTC · 16.647°S, 167.609°E
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 63 km SSE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu on Friday, August 13, 1965, 17:56:30 UTC, at a depth of 46.3 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.4 on August 13, 1965.
- Magnitude
- 6.2
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 46 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- V
- Moderate (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
32 kilotons of TNT
That is about 2 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 68 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
85 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the New Hebrides and Australian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
46 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 100 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.2 on August 18, 1965. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 121 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.999 km SW of Port-Vila, VanuatuDecember 2, 1950 · 192 km S of this epicenter
- 7.745 km NNE of Port-Olry, VanuatuMay 20, 1965 · 226 km N of this epicenter
- 7.631 km S of Luganville, VanuatuAugust 11, 1965 · 104 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.447 km WSW of Norsup, VanuatuNovember 9, 1910 · 76 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.443 km W of Norsup, VanuatuAugust 13, 1965 · 88 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.363 km S of Port-Vila, VanuatuJuly 23, 1961 · 198 km S of this epicenter
- 7.344 km SSW of Sola, VanuatuJanuary 5, 1915 · 270 km N of this epicenter
- 7.379 km WSW of Sola, VanuatuAugust 6, 1912 · 300 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 25 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1965M7.6
Vanuatu Islands
11 Aug 1965 · 104 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1909
Espiritu Santo
8 Jul 1909 · 135 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1878M7.5
Tanna Island
10 Jan 1878 · 278 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1965M7.4
Vanuatu Islands
13 Aug 1965 · 120 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1961M7.3
Vanuatu Islands
23 Jul 1961 · 215 km away · intensity VI
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1933M6.4
Malekula
19 Nov 1933 · 33 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.