Reviewed by USGSFiji7y ago
M6.2 earthquake 221 km E of Levuka, Fiji
Sunday, March 10, 2019, 08:12:26 UTC · 17.892°S, 178.603°W
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 221 km E of Levuka, Fiji on Sunday, March 10, 2019, 08:12:26 UTC, at a depth of 578.2 km (deep). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.8 on November 18, 2018.
- Magnitude
- 6.2
- Strong · mww
- Depth
- 578 km
- Deep
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
30 kilotons of TNT
That is about 2 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 63 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
208 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
578 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
Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.
- II · Weak shaking
- 6,700 people
After the main event
Aftershocks within 100 km
USGS lists 30 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.8 on March 28, 2019. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.5286 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 65 km E of this epicenter
- 4.4Fiji region7y ago · 91 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.2285 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 89 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.4237 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 18 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.4257 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 36 km E of this epicenter
- 4.1240 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 28 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.6228 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 7 km E of this epicenter
- 4.4279 km E of Levuka, Fiji7y ago · 75 km SE of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,342 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.22018 Fiji EarthquakeAugust 19, 2018 · 54 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.945 km S of Levuka, FijiSeptember 6, 2018 · 226 km W of this epicenter
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 168 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 53 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.6144 km SSW of Leava, Wallis and FutunaMay 23, 1956 · 274 km N of this epicenter
- 7.6240 km E of Levuka, FijiMarch 9, 1994 · 26 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaMay 21, 1962 · 272 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.4227 km E of Levuka, FijiAugust 21, 1910 · 10 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 9 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 · 223 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1979M6.9
Fiji Islands
16 Nov 1979 · 193 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 177 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 2018M8.2
Fiji Islands
19 Aug 2018 · 54 km away · intensity V
tsunami
- 2018M7.9
Fiji Islands
6 Sep 2018 · 226 km away · intensity VII
- 1909M7.8
Fiji Islands
22 Feb 1909 · 44 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.