M6.5 Earthquake 35 km W of Sola, Vanuatu — August 16, 2023
2023-08-16 12:47:39 UTC (2023-08-16) · approx. 11:47 PM UTC+11 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.4 (moderate).
On August 16, 2023 at 12:47 UTC, a magnitude 6.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 35 km W of Sola, Vanuatu, at a depth of 188.0 km and coordinates -13.8882°, 167.2249°. The earthquake was reported felt by 10 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.4 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 203 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 657, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Saratamata (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 18 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 10 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
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 4 | light | 97,956 |
Earthquake Details
167.2249°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Sola, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 35 km W of Sola, Vanuatu on August 16, 2023 at 12:47 UTC had a depth of 188.0 km. It was felt by 10 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.4 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -13.8882°, 167.2249°, which is 35 km W 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 6.5 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000knq0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 16, 2023). M6.5 Earthquake 35 km W of Sola, Vanuatu — August 16, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000knq0/