Reviewed by USGSFiji32y ago
M5.2 earthquake 266 km E of Levuka, Fiji
Sunday, March 27, 1994, 11:20:40 UTC · 17.800°S, 178.188°W
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 266 km E of Levuka, Fiji on Sunday, March 27, 1994, 11:20:40 UTC, at a depth of 580.1 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on March 25, 1994.
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 580 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 earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 tons of TNT
That is about 1/16 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
168 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
580 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 75 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.9 on April 20, 1994. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 801 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 169 km S of this epicenter
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 96 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.6144 km SSW of Leava, Wallis and FutunaMay 23, 1956 · 271 km N of this epicenter
- 7.6240 km E of Levuka, FijiMarch 9, 1994 · 36 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaMay 21, 1962 · 266 km S of this epicenter
- 7.4227 km E of Levuka, FijiAugust 21, 1910 · 38 km W of this epicenter
- 7.2241 km WNW of Houma, TongaAugust 21, 1911 · 264 km S of this epicenter
- 7.2280 km WNW of Houma, TongaDecember 14, 1910 · 285 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 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 · 223 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 222 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1909M7.8
Fiji Islands
22 Feb 1909 · 89 km away
- 1919M7.8
Fiji Islands
1 Jan 1919 · 169 km away
tsunami
- 1950M7.7
Tonga Islands
14 Dec 1950 · 298 km away · intensity VI
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.