Reviewed by USGS5y ago
M5.4 earthquake in Vanuatu region
Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 06:04:10 UTC · 21.389°S, 174.447°E
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck in Vanuatu region on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, 06:04:10 UTC, at a depth of 519.5 km (deep). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.9 on October 9, 2021.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 519 km
- Deep
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- I
- Not felt (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
2 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
34 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Conway Reef and New Hebrides plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: deep
519 km
Deep earthquakes (over 300 km) happen deep inside subducting plates. They rarely cause damage, but can be felt faintly over very large distances.
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 populated area was estimated to feel noticeable shaking.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 268 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.6south of the Fiji IslandsMarch 3, 1990 · 110 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.3Vanuatu regionOctober 2, 2021 · 55 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.2southeast of the Loyalty IslandsAugust 12, 2016 · 183 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.1Vanuatu regionFebruary 25, 2000 · 217 km N of this epicenter
- 7.0southeast of the Loyalty IslandsAugust 25, 1926 · 298 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.0southeast of the Loyalty IslandsOctober 5, 1944 · 290 km W of this epicenter
- 7.0southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJuly 6, 1981 · 297 km W of this epicenter
- 6.9Vanuatu regionOctober 9, 2021 · 24 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 4 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1990M7.6
Fiji Islands
3 Mar 1990 · 110 km away
- 1944M7.5
Loyalty Islands
5 Oct 1944 · 281 km away
- 2016M7.2
Loyalty Islands
12 Aug 2016 · 183 km away · intensity VI
tsunami
- 2017M6.9
Fiji Islands
3 Jan 2017 · 280 km away · intensity VI
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.