M5.3 Earthquake 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — October 11, 2022
2022-10-11 13:51:37 UTC (2022-10-11) · approx. 12:51 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M6.1 mainshock.
On October 11, 2022 at 13:51 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 intermediate depth earthquake struck 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, at a depth of 107.1 km and coordinates -14.9279°, 167.1649°. This earthquake was detected by 56 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 433, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 6.1 mainshock that occurred 22 days ago 55 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 3 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for weeks to months as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
The epicenter is located in Vanuatu, a region characterized by the New Hebrides subduction zone, where the Australian Plate subducts eastward at approximately 90 mm per year. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
167.1649°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on October 11, 2022 at 13:51 UTC had a depth of 107.1 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.9279°, 167.1649°, which is 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M6.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.3 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 6.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 55 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Has Vanuatu had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Vanuatu was the M7.9 Vanuatu earthquake of October 7, 2009. Today's magnitude 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000isr3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, October 11, 2022). M5.3 Earthquake 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — October 11, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000isr3/