Reviewed by USGS64y ago
M6.5 earthquake in Fiji region
Monday, September 10, 1962, 15:44:00 UTC · 21.225°S, 179.110°W
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in Fiji region on Monday, September 10, 1962, 15:44:00 UTC, at a depth of 630.6 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.5 on May 21, 1962.
- Magnitude
- 6.5
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 631 km
- Deep
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
71 kilotons of TNT
That is about 5 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 150 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
275 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Tonga and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: deep
631 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 100 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 15 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 238 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaMay 21, 1962 · 213 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.4Fiji regionSeptember 28, 1957 · 110 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.3227 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaApril 16, 1937 · 199 km E of this epicenter
- 7.3Fiji regionMay 25, 1944 · 52 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.2241 km WNW of Houma, TongaAugust 21, 1911 · 235 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.2280 km WNW of Houma, TongaDecember 14, 1910 · 164 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.1Fiji regionFebruary 25, 1915 · 63 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 3 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1937M8.1
Fiji Islands
16 Apr 1937 · 221 km away
- 1919M7.8
Fiji Islands
1 Jan 1919 · 238 km away
tsunami
- 1957M7.5
Fiji Islands
28 Sep 1957 · 112 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.