| Magnitude | 5.2 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 259.0 km |
| Coordinates | -18.972, 169.323 |
| UTC time | 1978-08-31 04:20:43.900 |
Earthquake details
Thursday, August 31, 1978 Earthquake
The earthquake hit Vanuatu on Thursday, August 31, 1978 at 04:20 UTC with a magnitude of 5.2. The closest known location in the current dataset is Port Vila (Vanuatu - VU), about 174.0 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude 169.323 and latitude -18.972.
| Location | Port Vila |
| Country | Vanuatu (VU) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1978-08-31
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Port Vila | 174.0 km |
| Noumea | 474.1 km |
| Nadi | 864.7 km |
| Lautoka | 872.1 km |
| Suva | 965.0 km |
| Nasinu | 975.1 km |
| Honiara | 1465.5 km |
| Hervey Bay | 1844.1 km |
| Bundaberg | 1869.9 km |
| Gold Coast | 1905.6 km |
| Brisbane | 1913.8 km |
| Logan City | 1915.1 km |
Nearby earthquakes
The latest 8 earthquakes within 100 km of this epicenter.
M 5.0
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-31 02:48 UTC
244.2 km
M 4.8
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-19 14:18 UTC
168.1 km
M 5.8
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-19 02:29 UTC
151.3 km
M 5.4
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 15:58 UTC
123.2 km
M 4.9
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 15:35 UTC
130.5 km
M 5.2
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 14:07 UTC
133.2 km
M 5.3
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 12:59 UTC
125.5 km
M 4.5
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-04-02 03:39 UTC
253.6 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.