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Strong mag. 6.1 earthquake - Coral Sea, 44 km east of Norsup, Malampa Province, Vanuatu, on Sunday, 10 Jan 5:48 pm (GMT +11)

Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 44 km east of Norsup, Malampa, on Sunday, Jan 10, 2021, at 05:48 pm (Efate time)

A very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in the Coral Sea near Malakula island, Vanuatu, in the afternoon of Sunday, Jan 10, 2021 at 5.48 pm local time (Pacific/Efate GMT +11). The quake had a moderate depth of 166 km (103 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.

Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 44 km east of Norsup, Malampa, on Sunday, Jan 10, 2021, at 05:48 pm (Efate time) Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 44 km east of Norsup, Malampa, on Sunday, Jan 10, 2021, at 05:48 pm (Efate time)
Strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 166 km depth
10 Jan 06:57 UTC: First to report: GFZ after 9 minutes.
10 Jan 06:59: Magnitude recalculated from 5.8 to 5.7. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 159.0 to 161.0 km (from 99 to 100 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 2.2 km (1.4 mi) towards N.
10 Jan 07:00: Magnitude recalculated from 5.7 to 5.9. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 161.0 to 162.0 km (from 100 to 101 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 1.1 km (0.7 mi) towards N.
10 Jan 07:05: Magnitude recalculated from 5.9 to 6.1. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 162.0 to 166.0 km (from 101 to 103 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 5.5 km (3.4 mi) towards E.
Update Sun, 10 Jan 2021, 07:03

Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes near Norsup, Malampa Province, Vanuatu

5.9 quake 10 Jan 5:48 pm (GMT +11)
5.9 quake 10 Jan 5:48 pm (GMT +11)
A intermediate to deep magnitude 5.9 earthquake was reported in the afternoon near Norsup, Malampa Province, Vanuatu.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the quake hit on Sunday 10 January 2021 at 5:48 pm local time at an intermediate to considerable depth of 162 km. 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 5.7 earthquake.
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 Lakatoro (pop. 710) located 37 km from the epicenter, Norsup (pop. 3,000) 39 km away, and Luganville (pop. 13,400) 89 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.
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Earthquake details

Date & timeJan 10, 2021 06:48:20 UTC
Local time at epicenterSunday, Jan 10, 2021, at 05:48 pm (Pacific/Efate GMT +11)
StatusPreliminary (automatic detection)
Magnitude6.1
Depth166.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude16.08°S / 167.81°E Coral Sea, Vanuatu
Seismic antipode16.08°N / 12.19°W Mauritania
Shaking intensityLight shaking near epicenter
Felt1 report
Primary data sourceGFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
Nearest volcanoAmbrym (38 km / 24 mi)
Weather at epicenter at time of quakeOvercast Clouds 29.6°C (85 F), humidity: 75%, wind: 4 m/s (7 kts) from NNW
Estimated seismic energy released8.9 x 1013 joules (24.8 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 21301 tons of TNT or 1.3 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
Interactive map
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Nearby places

The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Santo, a town with 13,000 inhabitants in Vanuatu, in 93 km (58 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced light shaking there. Several smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of  Vanuatu, Port Vila, 192 km (119 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as light shaking.
The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
Distance Place Max. shaking intensity(*) Region Country
42 km (26 mi)
W of epicenter
Lakatoro
(pop: 705)
IV: Light
Malampa
93 km (58 mi)
NW of epicenter
Santo
(pop: 13,400)
IV: Light
Santo/Malo
140 km (87 mi)
NW of epicenter
Port-Olry
(pop: 1,950)
IV: Light
Santo/Malo
192 km (119 mi)
S of epicenter
Port Vila
(pop: 35,900)
IV: Light
Shefa
247 km (153 mi)
N of epicenter
Sola
(pop: 1,170)
III: Weak
Torba
415 km (258 mi)
S of epicenter
Isangel
(pop: 1,440)
III: Weak
Tafea
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.

User-reports for this quake (1)

We received 1 report for this quake.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
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Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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Brawley, CA. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Happening lately around this time. Bed time. | 4 users found this interesting.  

What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?


The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!

Compare Quake Data

Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies

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 Time GMT
2021-01-10
Epicenter Agency
6.1 166 km
103 mi
06:48:20 Vanuatu Islands GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
6.1 162 km
101 mi
06:48:20 VANUATU
10 km (6.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
6.1 160 km
99 mi
06:48:20 47 Km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu
6.8 km (4.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
USGS (United States Geological Survey)
6.0 161 km
100 mi
06:48:20 Vanuatu Islands
5.3 km (3.3 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
GeoAu (Geoscience Australia )
6.0 162 km
101 mi
06:48:20 Vanuatu Islands
6.8 km (4.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
BMKG (Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia)

Seismograms

Seismic station: Monasavu, Fiji (MSVF/II network) | Distance from quake: 1105 km / 687 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station Monasavu, Fiji: vertical movement plot around time of quake (source: IRIS/BUD)
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.02-5.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
Show more

Aftershocks for this quake

So far, only one aftershock has been recorded. It hit 9 weeks after the mainshock in 10.1 km (6 mi) distance. When more aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.

What are aftershocks?


Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.
[More info]

What about this quake?


Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface of approx. 126 km2 (=49 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 19 km (12 mi).
[More info]


Recorded aftershocks, latest first (1 quake)

Date and Time GMTMag
Depth
DistanceRegionDetails
Mar 12, 2021 12:03 pm (Efate)
3 years ago
9 weeks after main shock
5.4

154 km
10.1 km (6.3 mi)
NE of main shock
Vanuatu IslandsMore
Jan 10, 2021 05:48 pm (Efate)
3 years ago
6.1

166 km
0 km - This quakeCoral Sea, Vanuatu, 44 km E of Norsup, Malampa
Main Shock (this quake)
More

Map of aftershocks

Earthquake statistics

Average number of earthquakes

Based on data from the past 14 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 29.4 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
  • Mag. 7 or higher: 0.08 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 12.5 years)
  • Mag. 6 or higher: 0.57 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.8 years)
  • Mag. 5 or higher: 7.8 quakes per year
  • Mag. 4 or higher: 27.5 quakes per year
  • Mag. 3 or higher: 28.1 quakes per year
  • Mag. 2 or higher: 28.1 quakes per year
The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 10 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.

Number of quakes per year

Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake




The earthquake occurred 23 weeks after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake had hit on Wednesday, Aug 5, 2020, at 11:05 pm local time (Pacific/Efate GMT +11) in 22 km (14 mi) distance to the east:
Mag. 6.4 earthquake Coral Sea, 17 km northwest of Ambrym Island, Malampa - Aug 5, 2020 -

The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 7.2. It had occurred 9 years earlier, on Sunday, Aug 21, 2011, at 03:55 am (GMT +11) in Coral Sea,  Vanuatu:
Mag. 7.2 earthquake Coral Sea, 72 km south of Port Vila, Shefa - Aug 21, 2011 -
The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 7.9. It had occurred 73 years ago earlier, on Saturday, Dec 2, 1950, at 07:51 pm local time (universal GMT +0) in Coral Sea,  Vanuatu:
Mag. 7.9 earthquake Vanuatu - Dec 2, 1950 -


Below is a list and map of (larger or recent) quakes that had occurred near the area of the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter the list to limit the number to show, by magnitude or time before.
Date and TimeMag
Depth
DistanceLocationDetailsMap
Jan 9, 2021 12:39 pm (Efate)
Jan 9, 2021 01:39 GMT
5.3

183 km
23 km (14 mi) to the S - 56 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu Info
Dec 15, 2020 10:43 pm (GMT +0)
Dec 15, 2020 22:43 GMT
4.2

126 km
64 km (40 mi) to the N 79 km east of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu Info
Dec 12, 2020 03:35 pm (Efate)
Dec 12, 2020 04:35 GMT
4.3

181 km
33 km (20 mi) to the SE Vanuatu Info
Dec 7, 2020 02:22 am (Efate)
Dec 6, 2020 15:22 GMT
4.6

120 km
86 km (53 mi) to the N Coral Sea, 50 km northeast of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu Info
Dec 1, 2020 12:40 am (Efate)
Nov 30, 2020 13:40 GMT
4.7

44 km
48 km (30 mi) to the N Coral Sea, 69 km east of Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu Info
Aug 5, 2020 11:05 pm (Efate)
Aug 5, 2020 12:05 GMT
6.4

187 km
22 km (14 mi) to the E Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 17 km northwest of Ambrym Island, Malampa 4 reportsInfo
May 16, 2020 02:15 pm (Efate)
May 16, 2020 03:15 GMT
5.9

183 km
12 km (7.4 mi) to the E Vanuatu Islands Info
Aug 1, 2019 02:02 am (Efate)
Jul 31, 2019 15:02 GMT
6.6

195 km
19 km (12 mi) to the SE Vanuatu Islands 4 reportsInfo
Jul 2, 2019 04:13 am (Efate)
Jul 1, 2019 17:13 GMT
6.0

115 km
76 km (47 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Islands 10 reportsInfo
Mar 21, 2019 02:24 am (Efate)
Mar 20, 2019 15:24 GMT
6.0

137 km
55 km (34 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Islands 10 reportsInfo
Aug 22, 2018 09:32 am (Efate)
Aug 21, 2018 22:32 GMT
6.8

10 km
34 km (21 mi) to the NE Vanuatu Islands 2 reportsInfo
Sep 17, 2016 01:31 pm (Efate)
Sep 17, 2016 02:31 GMT
5.8

10 km
43 km (27 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Islands Info
Jun 30, 2016 10:30 pm (Efate)
Jun 30, 2016 11:30 GMT
5.9

20 km
37 km (23 mi) to the W Vanuatu Islands 1 reportInfo
Apr 29, 2016 06:33 am (Efate)
Apr 28, 2016 19:33 GMT
7.0

28 km
43 km (27 mi) to the W Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 27 km northwest of Malakula Island, Malampa 2 reportsInfo
Oct 21, 2015 08:52 am (Efate)
Oct 20, 2015 21:52 GMT
7.1

143 km
146 km (90 mi) to the N Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 33 km northeast of Port-Olry, Santo/Malo 8 reportsInfo
Feb 20, 2015 12:18 am (Efate)
Feb 19, 2015 13:18 GMT
6.5

2 km
54 km (34 mi) to the SE VANUATU Info
Jul 26, 2013 06:07 pm (Efate)
Jul 26, 2013 07:07 GMT
6.1

133 km
84 km (52 mi) to the N Coral Sea, Vanuatu, 49 km east of Santo, Santo/Malo 4 reportsInfo
Feb 3, 2012 12:34 am (GMT +11)
Feb 2, 2012 13:34 GMT
7.1

23 km
207 km (129 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Aug 21, 2011 05:19 am (GMT +11)
Aug 20, 2011 18:19 GMT
7.1

28 km
252 km (157 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Aug 21, 2011 03:55 am (GMT +11)
Aug 20, 2011 16:55 GMT
7.2

32 km
257 km (159 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Aug 10, 2010 04:23 pm (Efate)
Aug 10, 2010 05:23 GMT
7.3

25 km
165 km (102 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
May 28, 2010 04:14 am (Efate)
May 27, 2010 17:14 GMT
7.2

31 km
293 km (182 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Aug 2, 2007 04:08 am (Efate)
Aug 1, 2007 17:08 GMT
7.2

120 km
56 km (35 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Aug 8, 2006 09:18 am (GMT +11)
Aug 7, 2006 22:18 GMT
6.8

150 km
31 km (20 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Jan 3, 2002 04:22 am (GMT +11)
Jan 2, 2002 17:22 GMT
7.2

21 km
169 km (105 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Jan 10, 2001 03:49 am (Efate)
Jan 9, 2001 16:49 GMT
7.1

103 km
145 km (90 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Oct 5, 2000 03:58 am (Efate)
Oct 4, 2000 16:58 GMT
7.0

23 km
121 km (75 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Nov 27, 1999 12:21 am (Efate)
Nov 26, 1999 13:21 GMT
7.5

33 km
58 km (36 mi) to the SE Vanuatu Info
Aug 22, 1999 11:40 pm (Efate)
Aug 22, 1999 12:40 GMT
6.6

33 km
25 km (15 mi) to the E Vanuatu Info
Nov 16, 1997 05:59 am (GMT +11)
Nov 15, 1997 18:59 GMT
7.0

123 km
114 km (71 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Jul 13, 1994 02:13 pm (GMT +11)
Jul 13, 1994 03:13 GMT
6.7

33 km
101 km (63 mi) to the SW Vanuatu Info
Jul 13, 1994 01:35 pm (Efate)
Jul 13, 1994 02:35 GMT
7.2

33 km
68 km (42 mi) to the SW Vanuatu Info
Jul 27, 1990 11:38 pm (Efate)
Jul 27, 1990 12:38 GMT
7.2

126 km
89 km (55 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Mar 6, 1990 03:38 am (GMT +11)
Mar 5, 1990 16:38 GMT
7.1

21 km
250 km (156 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Feb 24, 1987 02:49 am (Efate)
Feb 23, 1987 15:49 GMT
6.9

234 km
27 km (17 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Dec 21, 1985 12:13 pm (Efate)
Dec 21, 1985 01:13 GMT
7.1

43 km
273 km (170 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Nov 28, 1985 02:49 pm (GMT +11)
Nov 28, 1985 03:49 GMT
7.0

33 km
291 km (181 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Nov 28, 1985 01:25 pm (GMT +11)
Nov 28, 1985 02:25 GMT
7.0

33 km
282 km (175 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Jul 15, 1981 06:59 pm (GMT +11)
Jul 15, 1981 07:59 GMT
7.0

30 km
133 km (83 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Jan 10, 1974 07:51 pm (Efate)
Jan 10, 1974 08:51 GMT
7.2

34 km
209 km (130 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Dec 29, 1973 11:19 am (Efate)
Dec 29, 1973 00:19 GMT
7.2

47 km
145 km (90 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Dec 29, 1973 12:41 am (Efate)
Dec 28, 1973 13:41 GMT
7.5

26 km
222 km (138 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
May 4, 1972 06:48 pm (Efate)
May 4, 1972 07:48 GMT
6.9

51 km
32 km (20 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Oct 28, 1971 04:58 am (Efate)
Oct 27, 1971 17:58 GMT
6.8

45 km
82 km (51 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Jan 20, 1969 05:50 am (Efate)
Jan 19, 1969 18:50 GMT
7.1

113 km
146 km (91 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Aug 13, 1965 11:40 pm (Efate)
Aug 13, 1965 12:40 GMT
7.4

25 km
90 km (56 mi) to the W Vanuatu Info
Aug 12, 1965 07:01 pm (Efate)
Aug 12, 1965 08:01 GMT
6.9

30 km
53 km (33 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Aug 12, 1965 09:31 am (Efate)
Aug 11, 1965 22:31 GMT
7.6

30 km
81 km (50 mi) to the W Vanuatu Info
Aug 12, 1965 06:52 am (Efate)
Aug 11, 1965 19:52 GMT
6.9

30 km
88 km (55 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Aug 11, 1965 02:40 pm (Efate)
Aug 11, 1965 03:40 GMT
7.2

25 km
113 km (70 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
May 20, 1965 11:40 am (Efate)
May 20, 1965 00:40 GMT
7.7

120 km
146 km (91 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Jul 10, 1964 03:39 am (Efate)
Jul 9, 1964 16:39 GMT
7.6

130 km
63 km (39 mi) to the N Vanuatu Info
Jul 5, 1964 11:00 am (Efate)
Jul 5, 1964 00:00 GMT
7.5

0 km
154 km (96 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Islands: Espiritu Santo Islands Info
Jul 24, 1961 08:51 am (GMT +11)
Jul 23, 1961 21:51 GMT
7.3

25 km
253 km (157 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Jan 6, 1955 10:42 am (Efate)
Jan 5, 1955 23:42 GMT
6.5

15 km
5.8 km (3.6 mi) to the SW Vanuatu Info
Jan 6, 1955 04:48 am (Efate)
Jan 5, 1955 17:48 GMT
6.6

15 km
40 km (25 mi) to the SW Vanuatu, 44 km southeast of Norsup, Malampa Info
Dec 2, 1950 07:51 pm (universal)
Dec 2, 1950 19:51 GMT
7.9

30 km
256 km (159 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Jan 6, 1946 06:57 am (Efate)
Jan 5, 1946 19:57 GMT
6.9

35 km
67 km (42 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Info
Jan 24, 1927 12:05 pm (GMT +11)
Jan 24, 1927 01:05 GMT
7.1

30 km
249 km (155 mi) to the S Vanuatu Info
Nov 11, 1913 08:12 am (Efate)
Nov 10, 1913 21:12 GMT
7.5

0 km
248 km (154 mi) to the SE Vanuatu Islands Info
Nov 26, 1910 04:41 am (universal)
Nov 26, 1910 04:41 GMT
7.2

35 km
190 km (118 mi) to the NW 56 km N of Port-Olry, Vanuatu Info
Nov 10, 1910 11:19 pm (Efate)
Nov 10, 1910 12:19 GMT
7.2

0 km
271 km (168 mi) to the NW Vanuatu Islands: Espiritu Santo Info
Nov 9, 1910 06:02 am (universal)
Nov 9, 1910 06:02 GMT
7.4

20 km
88 km (55 mi) to the W Vanuatu Info
Apr 10, 1909 05:27 am (universal)
Apr 10, 1909 05:27 GMT
7.0

15 km
184 km (114 mi) to the NW 46 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu Info
Oct 11, 1907 02:27 pm (universal)
Oct 11, 1907 14:27 GMT
7.1

15 km
116 km (72 mi) to the E 157 km E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu Info
Feb 19, 1905 04:34 am (universal)
Feb 19, 1905 04:34 GMT
7.3

15 km
280 km (174 mi) to the NE 207 km E of Sola, Vanuatu Info
May 13, 1903 05:34 pm (Efate)
May 13, 1903 06:34 GMT
7.9

0 km
104 km (65 mi) to the S Vanuatu Islands Info

Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake

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