Reviewed by USGS21y ago
M5.4 earthquake in Fiji region
Monday, April 4, 2005, 08:16:22 UTC · 20.497°S, 178.318°W
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck in Fiji region on Monday, April 4, 2005, 08:16:22 UTC, at a depth of 542.4 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.1 on March 30, 2005.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mwc
- Depth
- 542 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
2 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
219 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Tonga and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: deep
542 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 8 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.6 on May 3, 2005. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.6Fiji region21y ago · 54 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.2281 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga21y ago · 72 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.1Fiji region21y ago · 33 km S of this epicenter
- 4.4277 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga21y ago · 74 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.0Fiji region21y ago · 39 km W of this epicenter
- 4.1Fiji region21y ago · 58 km W of this epicenter
- 4.1268 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga21y ago · 67 km E of this epicenter
- 4.1Fiji region21y ago · 37 km N of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 1,279 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.8159 km W of Pangai, TongaDecember 14, 1950 · 270 km E of this epicenter
- 7.8Fiji regionJanuary 1, 1919 · 133 km N of this epicenter
- 7.8192 km WSW of Haveluloto, TongaOctober 14, 1997 · 240 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.7Fiji regionAugust 19, 2002 · 182 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 266 km N of this epicenter
- 7.6240 km E of Levuka, FijiMarch 9, 1994 · 273 km N of this epicenter
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, TongaMay 21, 1962 · 100 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.4227 km E of Levuka, FijiAugust 21, 1910 · 299 km N 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:
- 1937M8.1
Fiji Islands
16 Apr 1937 · 177 km away
- 1909M7.8
Fiji Islands
22 Feb 1909 · 287 km away
- 1919M7.8
Fiji Islands
1 Jan 1919 · 133 km away
tsunami
- 1950M7.7
Tonga Islands
14 Dec 1950 · 266 km away · intensity VI
- 1997M7.7
Tonga Islands
14 Oct 1997 · 240 km away
tsunami
- 2002M7.7
Fiji Islands
19 Aug 2002 · 182 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.