| Magnitude | 5.5 |
| Alert | Strong |
| Depth | 33.0 km |
| Coordinates | -19.169, 168.736 |
| UTC time | 1997-03-23 15:49:39.680 |
Earthquake details
Sunday, March 23, 1997 Earthquake
The earthquake hit Vanuatu on Sunday, March 23, 1997 at 15:49 UTC with a magnitude of 5.5. The closest known location in the current dataset is Port Vila (Vanuatu - VU), about 165.6 km away. The epicenter is located at longitude 168.736 and latitude -19.169.
| Location | Port Vila |
| Country | Vanuatu (VU) |
| Severity | Strong |
Earthquake map 1997-03-23
Closest countries
The 12 closest cities near the epicenter.
| Port Vila | 165.6 km |
| Noumea | 419.7 km |
| Nadi | 928.8 km |
| Lautoka | 936.5 km |
| Suva | 1028.2 km |
| Nasinu | 1038.5 km |
| Honiara | 1438.8 km |
| Hervey Bay | 1778.9 km |
| Bundaberg | 1804.5 km |
| Gold Coast | 1842.4 km |
| Brisbane | 1850.0 km |
| Logan City | 1851.4 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
226.3 km
M 4.8
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-19 14:18 UTC
155.4 km
M 5.8
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-19 02:29 UTC
127.0 km
M 5.4
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 15:58 UTC
151.4 km
M 4.9
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 15:35 UTC
143.6 km
M 5.2
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 14:07 UTC
158.9 km
M 5.3
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-05-16 12:59 UTC
154.4 km
M 4.5
Port Vila
Vanuatu · 2026-04-02 03:39 UTC
226.0 km
Stay informed
Earthquake alerts
Create targeted notifications for important seismic activity near the places you follow.