M5.3 Earthquake 103 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu — July 27, 2023
2023-07-27 07:03:00 UTC (2023-07-27) · approx. 6:03 PM UTC+11 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.1 (strong).
On July 27, 2023 at 07:03 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 103 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -14.6812°, 168.0322°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 110 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Saratamata (population 0).
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.
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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 141,315 |
| MMI 4 | light | 14,343 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 741 |
Earthquake Details
168.0322°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 103 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu on July 27, 2023 at 07:03 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.6812°, 168.0322°, which is 103 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu. The nearest populated place is Saratamata (population 0). 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.
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: us6000kvum). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 27, 2023). M5.3 Earthquake 103 km SSE of Sola, Vanuatu — July 27, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kvum/