M5.1 Earthquake 62 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu — December 15, 2020
2020-12-15 22:43:05 UTC (2020-12-15) · approx. 9:43 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 15, 2020 at 22:43 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 62 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu, at a depth of 120.0 km and coordinates -15.6354°, 167.7782°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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
167.7782°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Norsup, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 62 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu on December 15, 2020 at 22:43 UTC had a depth of 120.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -15.6354°, 167.7782°, which is 62 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu. View all earthquakes in Vanuatu.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000crdn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 15, 2020). M5.1 Earthquake 62 km NE of Norsup, Vanuatu — December 15, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000crdn/