Reviewed by USGSFiji64y ago
M7.0 earthquake 217 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji
Sunday, August 25, 1963, 12:18:14 UTC · 17.628°S, 178.684°W
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 217 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji on Sunday, August 25, 1963, 12:18:14 UTC, at a depth of 570.0 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.6 on May 23, 1956.
- Magnitude
- 7.0
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 570 km
- Deep
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- III
- Weak (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
529 kilotons of TNT
That is about 35 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,109 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
191 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Niuafo'ou and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: deep
570 km
Deep earthquakes (over 300 km) happen deep inside subducting plates. They rarely cause damage, but can be felt faintly over very large distances.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 40 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 198 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 71 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.6144 km SSW of Leava, Wallis and FutunaMay 23, 1956 · 244 km N of this epicenter
- 7.4227 km E of Levuka, FijiAugust 21, 1910 · 25 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.2Fiji regionMarch 31, 1907 · 190 km E of this epicenter
- 7.1217 km E of Levuka, FijiJuly 8, 1916 · 45 km S of this epicenter
- 7.1Fiji regionJanuary 27, 1948 · 289 km S of this epicenter
- 6.9130 km ENE of Labasa, FijiDecember 26, 1949 · 215 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 5 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1919M6.9
Rabi,Tunuloa Mission,Suvasavu
3 Oct 1919 · 196 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 177 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1909M7.8
Fiji Islands
22 Feb 1909 · 53 km away
- 1919M7.8
Fiji Islands
1 Jan 1919 · 198 km away
tsunami
- 1956M7.5
Fiji Islands
23 May 1956 · 294 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.