M6.5 Earthquake 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — March 2, 2023
2023-03-02 18:04:30 UTC (2023-03-02) · approx. 5:04 AM UTC+11 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On March 2, 2023 at 18:04 UTC, a magnitude 6.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu, at a depth of 17.0 km and coordinates -15.3766°, 166.3907°. The earthquake was reported felt by 4 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.2 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 70 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 653, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Port-Olry (population 1,951).
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 4 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 3 | weak | 40,477 |
| MMI 4 | light | 107,907 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 15,826 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 666 |
Earthquake Details
166.3907°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu?
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu on March 2, 2023 at 18:04 UTC had a depth of 17.0 km. It was felt by 4 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.2 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -15.3766°, 166.3907°, which is 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. The nearest populated place is Port-Olry (population 1,951). 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: usd000j5jt). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 2, 2023). M6.5 Earthquake 83 km WSW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu — March 2, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/usd000j5jt/