M5.2 Earthquake 38 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu — February 3, 2023
2023-02-03 17:54:31 UTC (2023-02-03) · approx. 4:54 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On February 3, 2023 at 17:54 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 intermediate depth earthquake struck 38 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu, at a depth of 126.6 km and coordinates -15.5304°, 167.5240°. This earthquake was detected by 245 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 416, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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 1 citizen response 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
167.5240°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 38 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu on February 3, 2023 at 17:54 UTC had a depth of 126.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -15.5304°, 167.5240°, which is 38 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jl7u). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 3, 2023). M5.2 Earthquake 38 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu — February 3, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jl7u/