Reviewed by USGSNew Caledonia7y ago
M7.5 earthquake 166 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia
Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 04:18:08 UTC · 21.950°S, 169.427°E
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck 166 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 04:18:08 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 17 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.5 on January 4, 1998.
Tsunami flagUSGS sets this flag for large events in oceanic regions so tsunami warning centers review them. It does not by itself mean a tsunami occurred. Check tsunami.gov and local authorities for official messages.
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Major · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 17
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- Flag
- Check tsunami.gov
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
2.7 megatons of TNT
That is about 178 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 5,623 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
3 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the New Hebrides and Australian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nouméa, Sud, New Caledonia | III · Weak | 12 | 309 km |
| Mont-Doré, Sud, New Caledonia | III · Weak | 1 | 295 km |
| Yaté, Sud, New Caledonia | III · Weak | 1 | 260 km |
| Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | II · Weak | 1 | 1767 km |
| Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu | II · Weak | 1 | 481 km |
| Houaïlu, Nord, New Caledonia | II · Weak | 1 | 400 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.
- VI · Strong shaking
- 1,300 people
- V · Moderate shaking
- 15,000 people
- IV · Light shaking
- 251,000 people
- III · Weak shaking
- 99,000 people
Estimated shaking in nearby towns
- TadinePopulation 7,500V · Moderate
- WecapitalPopulation 10,000V · Moderate
- VaoPopulation 1,900IV · Light
- PaitaPopulation 13,000IV · Light
- BouloupariPopulation 2,100IV · Light
- IsangelcapitalPopulation 1,400IV · Light
- La FoacapitalPopulation 2,900IV · Light
- KonecapitalPopulation 4,600IV · Light
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS lists 187 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.6 on December 5, 2018. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.6223 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 68 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.2212 km SE of Isangel, Vanuatu7y ago · 136 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.6145 km SE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 57 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.3132 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 36 km W of this epicenter
- 4.0100 km ESE of Vao, New Caledonia7y ago · 168 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.3186 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 25 km SE of this epicenter
- 5.3158 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 22 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.9139 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia7y ago · 28 km W of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,478 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11920 Vanuatu EarthquakeSeptember 20, 1920 · 240 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.828 km ESE of Isangel, VanuatuJune 16, 1910 · 261 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7249 km E of Vao, New CaledoniaMay 16, 1995 · 127 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6274 km ESE of Tadine, New CaledoniaMarch 16, 1928 · 110 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.5southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJanuary 4, 1998 · 158 km E of this epicenter
- 7.3141 km W of Isangel, VanuatuDecember 25, 2010 · 293 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.371 km SW of Isangel, VanuatuApril 9, 2008 · 216 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 28 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 26 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1875M8.1
Loyalty Islands: Lifou Island
28 Mar 1875 · 237 km away
26 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1901M7.9
Loyalty Islands
9 Aug 1901 · 59 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1920M8.1
Loyalty Islands
20 Sep 1920 · 240 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2018M7.5
Loyalty Islands
5 Dec 2018 · 0 km away · intensity III
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 2010M7.3
Vanuatu Islands
25 Dec 2010 · 293 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1913M8.1
Vanuatu Islands
14 Oct 1913 · 276 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.