Reviewed by USGSFiji3d ago
M5.0 earthquake 139 km NNE of Ba, Fiji
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 17:46:06 UTC · 16.316°S, 178.024°E
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 139 km NNE of Ba, Fiji on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 17:46:06 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.1 on May 20, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- 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
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
15 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Balmoral Reef 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
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 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 234 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.945 km S of Levuka, FijiSeptember 6, 2018 · 278 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.377 km ENE of Ba, FijiNovember 9, 2009 · 108 km S of this epicenter
- 6.9130 km ENE of Labasa, FijiDecember 26, 1949 · 263 km E of this epicenter
- 6.978 km ESE of Labasa, FijiNovember 16, 1979 · 218 km E of this epicenter
- 6.7149 km ENE of Labasa, FijiJanuary 12, 1998 · 283 km E of this epicenter
- 6.7126 km NE of Labasa, FijiNovember 8, 1992 · 252 km E of this epicenter
- 6.6159 km ENE of Labasa, FijiJanuary 14, 1998 · 290 km E of this epicenter
- 6.665 km WNW of Lautoka, FijiSeptember 19, 1921 · 172 km SW 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, which together caused about 48 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1840
Kadavu
1840 · 299 km away · intensity VIII
40 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1953M6.4
Fiji Islands
14 Sep 1953 · 221 km away
8 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1919M6.9
Rabi,Tunuloa Mission,Suvasavu
3 Oct 1919 · 211 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1979M6.9
Fiji Islands
16 Nov 1979 · 218 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 278 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1884
Macuata
Jan 1884 · 110 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.