3 January 2002, Mw 6.7, Vanuatu

On January 2, 2002 (3 January local date), a powerful earthquake with a magnitude 6.3mb (7.5Ms)approximately 45 km West of of Port Vila , caused extensive damage to this seaside capital onVanuatu's main island of Efate and in the surrounding areas. The quake generated a local tsunami .Although the tsunami only registerd a crest to trough amplitude of 0.8 m on the tide gauge,eyewitness accounts in different parts of the Port Vila harbour put the maximum tsunami runup at atabout 3.0 m which was large enough to cause significant damage. However most of the damage wasdue to earthquake effects. A major asubsequent aftershock also generated a a much smaller tsunamiwhich was recorded by the harbor tide gauge