Reviewed by USGSFiji33y ago
M7.6 earthquake 240 km E of Levuka, Fiji
Wednesday, March 9, 1994, 23:28:06 UTC · 18.039°S, 178.413°W
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 240 km E of Levuka, Fiji on Wednesday, March 9, 1994, 23:28:06 UTC, at a depth of 562.5 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.6 on May 23, 1956.
- Magnitude
- 7.6
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 563 km
- Deep
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- IV
- Light (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
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
3.8 megatons of TNT
That is about 252 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 7,943 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
202 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
563 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 lists 21 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.0 on March 9, 1994. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.2244 km E of Levuka, Fiji32y ago · 6 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.7221 km ESE of Labasa, Fiji32y ago · 124 km N of this epicenter
- 5.0Fiji region32y ago · 179 km SE of this epicenter
- 5.2266 km E of Levuka, Fiji32y ago · 36 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.7Fiji region32y ago · 20 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.5169 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji32y ago · 124 km NW of this epicenter
- 5.3242 km E of Levuka, Fiji32y ago · 23 km N of this epicenter
- 4.7230 km E of Levuka, Fiji32y ago · 29 km SW of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 818 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 146 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 64 km W of this epicenter
- 7.6144 km SSW of Leava, Wallis and FutunaMay 23, 1956 · 293 km N of this epicenter
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaMay 21, 1962 · 249 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.4227 km E of Levuka, FijiAugust 21, 1910 · 29 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.4Fiji regionSeptember 28, 1957 · 278 km S of this epicenter
- 7.2241 km WNW of Houma, TongaAugust 21, 1911 · 250 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.2280 km WNW of Houma, TongaDecember 14, 1910 · 263 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 7 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 · 248 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1979M6.9
Fiji Islands
16 Nov 1979 · 219 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 195 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1909M7.8
Fiji Islands
22 Feb 1909 · 62 km away
- 1919M7.8
Fiji Islands
1 Jan 1919 · 146 km away
tsunami
- 1994M7.6
Fiji Islands
9 Mar 1994 · 0 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.