Reviewed by USGSVanuatu27y ago
M5.2 earthquake 139 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu
Friday, December 3, 1999, 12:42:14 UTC · 14.994°S, 168.368°E
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 139 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on Friday, December 3, 1999, 12:42:14 UTC, at a depth of 33.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.9 on November 26, 1999.
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- Moderate · mwc
- Depth
- 33 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 tons of TNT
That is about 1/16 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
156 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the New Hebrides and Pacific plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
33 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 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 1,119 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.745 km NNE of Port-Olry, VanuatuMay 20, 1965 · 131 km W of this epicenter
- 7.631 km S of Luganville, VanuatuAugust 11, 1965 · 156 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.581 km NW of Port-Olry, VanuatuDecember 28, 1973 · 199 km W of this epicenter
- 7.592 km ESE of Lakatoro, VanuatuNovember 26, 1999 · 160 km S of this epicenter
- 7.447 km WSW of Norsup, VanuatuNovember 9, 1910 · 203 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.443 km W of Norsup, VanuatuAugust 13, 1965 · 193 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.3207 km E of Sola, VanuatuFebruary 19, 1905 · 152 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.344 km SSW of Sola, VanuatuJanuary 5, 1915 · 138 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 22 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 11 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1999M7.5
Pentecost
26 Nov 1999 · 160 km away
10 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1971M7.1
Espiritu Santo, Port Vila
27 Oct 1971 · 137 km away · intensity VII
1 deathSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1965M7.6
Vanuatu Islands
11 Aug 1965 · 154 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1973M7.5
Espiritu Santo, Luganille
28 Dec 1973 · 199 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1910M7.2
Espiritu Santo
10 Nov 1910 · 229 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1973M7.2
Luganville, Lamap
29 Dec 1973 · 158 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.