A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck north of Ambrym Island in the Vanuatu archipelago today, August 21, 2018, at 22:32:29 UTC. This was the second large quake today with Venezuela being hit by a big 7.3 magnitude earlier today.
The epicenter of the quake was located a few kilometers off the tip of Ambrym, a sparsely populated island, hitting from a depth of 30 kilometers.
The Vanuatu Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management said their was no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the quake.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also did not issue any tsunami warnings.
There has so far been no reports of damages or injuries.
The “Ring of Fire” is also called the Circum-Pacific belt. It is the zone of earthquakes surrounding the Pacific Ocean where around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
Distances:
• 78.3 km (48.6 mi) E of Lakatoro, Vanuatu
• 120.6 km (74.8 mi) ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu
• 187.3 km (116.1 mi) N of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
• 546.7 km (339.0 mi) N of W, New Caledonia
• 698.5 km (433.0 mi) NNE of Dumba, New Caledonia
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- The epicenter of the quake was located a few kilometers off the tip of Ambrym, a sparsely populated island, hitting from a depth of 30 kilometers.
- It is the zone of earthquakes surrounding the Pacific Ocean where around 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
- The Vanuatu Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management said their was no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the quake.
