Reviewed by USGSFiji17y ago
M7.3 earthquake 77 km ENE of Ba, Fiji
Monday, November 9, 2009, 10:44:55 UTC · 17.239°S, 178.331°E
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 77 km ENE of Ba, Fiji on Monday, November 9, 2009, 10:44:55 UTC, at a depth of 595.0 km (deep). No earthquake of this size or larger appears within 300 km in the USGS catalog since 1900.
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Major · mwc
- Depth
- 595 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
1.3 megatons of TNT
That is about 89 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2,818 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
122 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Balmoral Reef and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: deep
595 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 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.9 on November 9, 2009. 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 271 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.2178 km ENE of Levuka, FijiMarch 29, 1998 · 276 km E of this epicenter
- 6.9130 km ENE of Labasa, FijiDecember 26, 1949 · 271 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.978 km ESE of Labasa, FijiNovember 16, 1979 · 187 km E of this epicenter
- 6.7179 km ENE of Levuka, FijiJune 21, 1928 · 264 km E of this epicenter
- 6.7149 km ENE of Labasa, FijiJanuary 12, 1998 · 289 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.7126 km NE of Labasa, FijiNovember 8, 1992 · 269 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.665 km WNW of Lautoka, FijiSeptember 19, 1921 · 156 km W of this epicenter
- 6.598 km NE of Labasa, FijiJuly 12, 1923 · 240 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, which together caused about 48 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1840
Kadavu
1840 · 199 km away · intensity VIII
40 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1953M6.4
Fiji Islands
14 Sep 1953 · 119 km away
8 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1919M6.9
Rabi,Tunuloa Mission,Suvasavu
3 Oct 1919 · 201 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1979M6.9
Fiji Islands
16 Nov 1979 · 187 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 185 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1884
Macuata
Jan 1884 · 155 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.