Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Reported in Vanuatu
- Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:32pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean early Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey is reporting.
The quake hit a few minutes before 4 a.m. local time. It was centered 38 miles southwest of the town of Port-Vila and had a relatively shallow depth of 25.2 miles, according to the USGS.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the major quake had not triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami but said: “Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers (80 miles) of the earthquake epicenter.”
There was no immediate information of any damage or casualties, but when on land quakes of this magnitude can cause widespread and heavy damage.
The quake was followed by a weaker aftershock of magnitude 5.9 some 20 minutes later.
The Vanuatu archipelago is located on the so-called “Ring of Fire,” one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Port-Vila is the capital of Vanuatu and has an estimated population of 40,000 people.
No other details were immediately available.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated since it was first published.



















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Comments (53)
loadingmyclips
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 8:17amhow about a MAP!! Where the hell is this place?!?!?!?!?!
Report Post »robstoddard
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 9:10amIf you go from Papua New Guinea (the big island that Australia’s “finger” points at) and follow the island chain south and east, there’s the Solomon Sea with the Solomon Islands directly to the north of it. After that, there’s a rather large island called New Caledonia, and to the north east of that, an island chain called Vanuatu. If you strike directly east of Vanuatu, the first island you’ll reach is Fiji. The actual quake happened on an island called Efate. There is no island called Vanuatu; that’s the name of the island chain and the country.
Report Post »ourrightsourfreedom
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 12:09pmA very small islands in the Pacific. Part of Melanesian & the Polynesian islands. Beautiful place.
Report Post »WalkSoft
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 4:55pmRead and look….link it says REPORTING…click then click MAP……..Wake up Vote Smart! Thanks Madeleine Morgenstern
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 9:49pmAll this is the beginning of the birth pains
Report Post »wolfinsheepsclothing
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:28pmWe have already passed birth pains. We are at the point of talons clenching yet the Phoenix has not yet taken flight. It will be soon but there are a few other things that will happen first.
Report Post »Tretka
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 1:48amWhat are you waiting on??
Report Post »wolfinsheepsclothing
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 10:49pmWell personally I don’t think politically we have seen the worst of it yet, definately haven‘t seen the worst of the fighting in the streets and I pray we don’t here in the states but I am surprised we haven’t seen more. There is a new day coming based on science or faith but it’s a comin. And its gotta be super ugly first. And as mad as this world is becoming……..
Report Post »stang289
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 9:34pmhttp://www.youtube.com/user/dutchsinse#p/u/1/3UgtfDhwguc
Report Post »jolene2
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 7:21pmI think a student interviewed on national television stated she was here getting her college degree she said I’m illegal and unafraid. That’s because our President has made it so easy for her and millions of other illegals to take advantage of every social program offered by our government intended for U S CITIZENS. Not illegal aliens
Report Post »fliptailhunter
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 6:01pm100klm =60mls
Report Post »tommywm22
Posted on August 21, 2011 at 12:44amI think it is 62.5
Report Post »fliptailhunter
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:59pm100 klm = 60mls
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:40pmHere comes another excuse for obama’s supposed “recovery”.
Report Post »We were doin’ fine again…right up til the big quake in uh ….venezuela…umm..Valenzuela…uh Juan Peron…wherever.
Molalla912
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:26pmPore Al Gore . he just can’t catch a break one of his favorite proof of global warming places was this Island N. E. of Australia that was sinking yes it really was Sinking That fact was proved a (Sinking Island) Not a tipping over one. The problem with this sinking Island was that it sits on the subduction zone of a fault line. Over the past 3 years I have been watching this Island just to see what was going on with it, This area has had a rash of Earth quakes; And every time there’s a quake the Island pops back up a little. It’s in the news again (Earth quake on the island of vanuatu) I wonder if Al will retract his statements about this Island being flooded because of Global warming.
Report Post »(I’m Not going to hold my breath for that one)
Jim in Houston
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:02pmShoot, I thought it might be close the Maratha’s Vineyard.
grandma7
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:17pmFunny
Report Post »:@}
AzDebi
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:29pmTwo 7.0 magnitude earthquakes occur in west Pacific!
http://www.youtube.com/user/dutchsinse
If you want to see what is actually happening around the world, follow Dutch on his youtube site…he is amazing…earthquakes, tornadoes, storm fronts…he keeps up with the HAARPs and the Scalars…geo-engineering…
Report Post »yiddishlion
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:41pmThe words shoot, and Martha‘s Vineyard in the same sentence just tripped Homeland Securities’ computers. Expect a knock at your ………hold on……..someone’s at the door……..
Report Post »ILUVAMERICA
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 7:36pm@ AzDebi
Report Post »A BIG Thank you to you,
I will be watchiing him
Thanks again!
1TrueOne55
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 4:56pmIt is too late to impeach him and even if he was the Prince Harry Reid will not accept the charges. So our only recourse is to vote him out of Office and then fumigate the White House from all the Czars and Czarinas that have stunk up the place.
Report Post »Jim in Houston
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:03pmDon’t forget to wipe the footprints off the furniture and count the silver.
Report Post »http://www.grannyjanandjihadkitty.com/2011/08/all-hail-dear-leaders-feet-on-furniture.html
Stu D. Baker-Hawk
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 4:06pmIf nobody has said it yet, here goes… “It‘s Bush’s fault!”
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:01pmIt was Palin!
Report Post »Molalla912
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 5:04pmMaybe the people were all on one side of the island
Report Post »and that’s what caused it (Like Guam) you know it was in
danger of tipping over. Because of the air force base
having to many people on it.
catmman
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 3:38pmMother Nature continues effing over Obama on the economy…
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 3:32pmOOOHHHHHHHH NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s man caused catastrophic climate change. We have to stop man-caused catastrophic climate change.
Report Post »saintjock
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:43pmthere was a 7.3 one year and ten days ago in the same place.
Report Post »SteveSD
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 3:34pmSince I live in California, I subscribe to the USGS immediate earthquake notification system. There were actually 2 at Vanuatu: this one was updated to a 7.1M at 1655UTC, and a 7.0 at 1819UTC. Vanuatu is on the ‘rim of fire’, and is one of the most active seismic locations on the planet. Check out the event page: http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2011/eq_110820_c0005h9f/neic_c0005h9f_h.html.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:37pmGod help these people caught up in the quake and keep any harm from coming in the future due to more such activity or for any volcanos in the region of the ring of fire to not become active.
Report Post »http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (cat folk gallery)
Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:23pmAnybody see the headline on Drudge?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:35pmNo suprise.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:20pmI hope there are no injuries
Report Post »MODEL82A1
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:15pmGreat. Another excuse.
Report Post »johnsell
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:11pmThese quakes are only a precursor of the one coming for Obama in 2012…………..
Report Post »Wyatt's Torch
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:58pmSomeone knock the POTUS off of his girl’s bike and tell him!
Report Post »kindling
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:07pmOH, he will only use it as an excuse for his failings. He really needs to be impeached NOW!
Report Post »ScreaminEagle
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:55pmAmericans have got to learn to have a sense of humor.
Report Post »RIGHTHOOK
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 2:25pmScreamer – We have a a keen sense of humor but at this crossroads and everything that stands for the integrity of the Constitution, economy and freedom in general is at risk. Now is when we need a sense of urgency. The humor will have its place when the timing warrants a good laugh and believe me, I could use a good laugh right now! No laughing matter pal.
Report Post »felix
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:54pmObumbler will blame the economy on this quake also
Report Post »michael48
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:52pmGet ready for a TELE-TANTRUM from the “LUSH in CHARGE”….bad luck’s FAULT…all these things …never in the 4 1/2 billion history of Earth has such “LUCK” happened…it’s Bushes, Congress, GOP, Dem-WITS Par-ta, Japan Tsunami, and Elvis’s …uh…uh…uh… Tee Time???NO???… oh goody, my new swing set is here….
Report Post »rpbgfox
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:49pmBecker88, That would be, justice! Justice is rarely funny
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:34pmi really must work on my targeting system i keep aiming for california, but it keeps missing
back to the drawing board
Report Post »drbage
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:37pmFollow the O team and aim for Europe and you’ll probably get California–just make sure that Pope Pelosi is in residence.
Report Post »becker88
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:40pmThat is not funny but it kind of is.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »chips1
Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:49pmNow, if we can just shake up Washington, we might have something. A 9.0 Impeachment might work.
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