Light mag. 4.9 earthquake - Coral Sea, 72 km north of Port-Olry, Sanma Province, Vanuatu, on Tuesday, 5 Jan 2021 2:11 pm (GMT +11) -
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Light magnitude 4.9 earthquake at 180 km depth
5 Jan 03:24 UTC: First to report: USGS after 12 minutes.
6 Jan 03:56: Magnitude recalculated from 5.1 to 4.9. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 178.2 to 180.1 km (from 111 to 112 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 6.3 km (3.9 mi) towards NE.
6 Jan 03:56: Magnitude recalculated from 5.1 to 4.9. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 178.2 to 180.1 km (from 111 to 112 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 6.3 km (3.9 mi) towards NE.
Update Tue, 5 Jan 2021, 03:30
Moderate yet deep 5.1 quake hits near Port-Olry, Sanma Province, Vanuatu5.1 quake 5 Jan 2:11 pm (GMT +11)
Vanuatu was shaken near Port-Olry, Sanma Province, by an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 only 18 minutes ago, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
The quake hit at an intermediate to considerable depth of 178.2 km beneath the epicenter near Port-Olry, Sanma Province, Vanuatu, early afternoon on Tuesday 5 January 2021 at 2:11 pm local time. The strength of the earthquake may have been tempered by its relative great depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake as well.
Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Port-Olry (pop. 2,000) located 66 km from the epicenter, Sola (pop. 1,200) 73 km away, and Luganville (pop. 13,400) 116 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
The quake hit at an intermediate to considerable depth of 178.2 km beneath the epicenter near Port-Olry, Sanma Province, Vanuatu, early afternoon on Tuesday 5 January 2021 at 2:11 pm local time. The strength of the earthquake may have been tempered by its relative great depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake as well.
Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Port-Olry (pop. 2,000) located 66 km from the epicenter, Sola (pop. 1,200) 73 km away, and Luganville (pop. 13,400) 116 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
Earthquake data:
Date & time: 5 Jan 2021 03:11:55 UTC -
Local time at epicenter: Tuesday, 5 Jan 2021 2:11 pm (GMT +11)
Magnitude: 4.9
Depth: 180.1 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 14.4384°S / 167.3181°E
(Coral Sea, Vanuatu)Nearest volcano: Gaua (33 km / 21 mi)
Nearby towns and cities:
67 km (42 mi) SSW of Sola (pop: 1,170) --> See nearby quakes!
72 km (45 mi) NNE of Port-Olry (pop: 1,950) --> See nearby quakes!
121 km (75 mi) N of Luganville (pop: 13,400) --> See nearby quakes!
181 km (113 mi) N of Norsup (pop: 3,000) --> See nearby quakes!
382 km (237 mi) NNW of Port Vila (pop: 35,900) --> See nearby quakes!
173 km (107 mi) NNW of Pentecost Island (pop: 16,800) --> See nearby quakes!
205 km (127 mi) N of Malakula Island (pop: 22,900) --> See nearby quakes!
167 km (104 mi) SSE of North Island (pop: 269) --> See nearby quakes!
Weather at epicenter at time of quake:
Overcast Clouds
28.9°C (84 F), humidity: 78%, wind: 6 m/s (11 kts) from NW
Primary data source: USGS (United States Geological Survey)Overcast Clouds
28.9°C (84 F), humidity: 78%, wind: 6 m/s (11 kts) from NWEstimated released energy: 1.4 x 1012 joules (392 megawatt hours, equivalent to 338 tons of TNT) More info
Data for the same earthquake reported by different agencies
Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
| Magnitude | Depth | Location | Source |
| M 4.9 | 180 km | 67 Km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu | USGS |
| M 5.1 | 180 km | VANUATU | EMSC |
| M 5.1 | 183 km | Vanuatu Islands | GeoAu |
| M 4.9 | 189 km | Vanuatu Islands | GFZ |
| M 4.9 | 180 km | Vanuatu | NIEP |
User reports for this quake
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