Reviewed by USGSVanuatu62y ago
M5.6 earthquake 44 km SW of Luganville, Vanuatu
Friday, August 13, 1965, 12:40:08 UTC · 15.852°S, 166.933°E
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 44 km SW of Luganville, Vanuatu on Friday, August 13, 1965, 12:40:08 UTC, at a depth of 21.2 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.9 on August 13, 1965.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 21 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 8 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
63 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
21 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 75 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M7.4 on August 13, 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 139 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 · 291 km S of this epicenter
- 7.745 km NNE of Port-Olry, VanuatuMay 20, 1965 · 137 km N of this epicenter
- 7.631 km S of Luganville, VanuatuAugust 11, 1965 · 27 km E of this epicenter
- 7.447 km WSW of Norsup, VanuatuNovember 9, 1910 · 48 km S of this epicenter
- 7.344 km SSW of Sola, VanuatuJanuary 5, 1915 · 186 km N of this epicenter
- 7.379 km WSW of Sola, VanuatuAugust 6, 1912 · 200 km N of this epicenter
- 7.397 km E of Port-Olry, VanuatuNovember 22, 1911 · 140 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.221 km WNW of Luganville, VanuatuAugust 11, 1965 · 43 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 16 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1965M7.6
Vanuatu Islands
11 Aug 1965 · 29 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1910M7.2
Espiritu Santo
10 Nov 1910 · 211 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1909
Espiritu Santo
8 Jul 1909 · 48 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1965M7.4
Vanuatu Islands
13 Aug 1965 · 15 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1933M6.4
Malekula
19 Nov 1933 · 147 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1903M7.9
Vanuatu Islands
13 May 1903 · 171 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.