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Lifou (277.1 km W of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : That’s finished to wake me up
Nouvelle Calédonie / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
Moderate mag. 5.6 earthquake - South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu, on Saturday, Nov 20, 2021 at 6:32 am (GMT +11) -
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Moderate magnitude 5.6 earthquake at 133 km depth
19 Nov 19:41 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 9 minutes.
19 Nov 19:42: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 127.0 to 125.0 km (from 79 to 78 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 1.1 km (0.7 mi) towards S.
20 Nov 16:26: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 133.8 to 133.2 km (from 83 to 83 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 6.2 km (3.8 mi) towards NE.
19 Nov 19:42: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 127.0 to 125.0 km (from 79 to 78 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 1.1 km (0.7 mi) towards S.
20 Nov 16:26: Hypocenter depth recalculated from 133.8 to 133.2 km (from 83 to 83 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 6.2 km (3.8 mi) towards NE.
Update Fri, 19 Nov 2021, 19:51
Moderate yet deep magnitude 5.4 earthquake 115 km southeast of Isangel, Vanuatu5.4 quake South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu, Nov 20, 2021 6:32 am (GMT +11)
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported a magnitude 5.4 quake in Vanuatu near Isangel, Tafea Province, only 18 minutes ago. The earthquake hit early morning on Saturday, November 20th, 2021, at 6:32 am local time at an intermediate depth of 125 km. 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 France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS), which listed it as a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. A third agency, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), reported the same quake at magnitude 5.2.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Isangel (pop. 1,400) located 115 km from the epicenter.
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.
A second report was later issued by France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS), which listed it as a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. A third agency, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), reported the same quake at magnitude 5.2.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Isangel (pop. 1,400) located 115 km from the epicenter.
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
Earthquake details
| Date & time | Nov 19, 2021 19:32:56 UTC - |
| Local time at epicenter | Saturday, Nov 20, 2021 at 6:32 am (GMT +11) |
| Status | Confirmed |
| Magnitude | 5.6 |
| Depth | 133.2 km |
| Epicenter latitude / longitude | 20.4857°S / 169.7944°E  (South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu) |
| Antipode | 20.486°N / 10.206°W |
| Shaking intensity | Light shaking |
| Felt | 2 reports |
| Primary data source | USGS (United States Geological Survey) |
| Nearest volcano | Eastern Gemini Seamount (75 km / 47 mi) |
| Nearby towns and cities | 118 km (73 mi) SSE of Isangel (pop: 1,440) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 231 km (144 mi) ENE of Tadine (Maré, New Caledonia) (pop: 7,490) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 268 km (166 mi) E of Wé (Lifou, New Caledonia) (pop: 10,400) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 340 km (211 mi) E of Fayaoué (New Caledonia) (pop: 4,410) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 343 km (213 mi) SSE of Port Vila (pop: 35,900) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 388 km (241 mi) ENE of Mont-Dore (New Caledonia) (pop: 24,700) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 393 km (244 mi) ENE of Dumbéa (New Caledonia) (pop: 19,300) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 400 km (248 mi) ENE of Noumea (New Caledonia) (pop: 93,100) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 400 km (249 mi) ENE of Paita (New Caledonia) (pop: 12,600) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 32 km (20 mi) S of Aneityum Island (pop: 915) | Show on map | Quakes nearby 115 km (71 mi) SSE of Tanna Island (pop: 28,800) | Show on map | Quakes nearby |
| Weather at epicenter at time of quake | Overcast Clouds  21.8°C (71 F), humidity: 82%, wind: 7 m/s (13 kts) from SSE |
| Estimated seismic energy released | 1.6 x 1013 joules (4.4 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 3788 tons of TNT or 0.2 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy |
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.
| Mag. | Depth | Location | Source |
| 5.6 | 133 km | 117 Km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu | USGS |
| 5.6 | 133 km | Vanuatu Islands | GFZ |
| 5.3 | 163 km | Vanuatu: Near Nouméa | RENASS |
| 5.6 | 132 km | VANUATU | EMSC |
| 5.6 | 137 km | Vanuatu Islands | GeoAu |
| 5.6 | 133 km | Vanuatu Islands | RaspberryShake |
User reports for this quake (2)
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Send your own user report!
Aftershocks
[More info]
Recorded aftershocks, latest first (2 quakes)
Date and time | Mag Depth | Location | Details |
| Jan 7, 2022 22:57 31 weeks ago | 4.3 125 km | South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu | More |
| Jan 4, 2022 18:31 31 weeks ago - felt | 5.8 117 km | South Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu | More |
Earlier earthquakes in the same area
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