Reviewed by USGSFiji17y ago
M4.9 earthquake 90 km N of Suva, Fiji
Monday, November 9, 2009, 13:19:54 UTC · 17.328°S, 178.565°E
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 90 km N of Suva, Fiji on Monday, November 9, 2009, 13:19:54 UTC, at a depth of 607.3 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.3 on November 9, 2009.
- Magnitude
- 4.9
- Light · mb
- Depth
- 607 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: 50 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
338 tons of TNT
That is about 1/45 of the Hiroshima bomb. A magnitude 5.0 releases about 1 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
137 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
607 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 50 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 50 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.5 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 390 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, FijiFebruary 22, 1909 · 275 km E of this epicenter
- 7.377 km ENE of Ba, FijiNovember 9, 2009 · 27 km W of this epicenter
- 7.2178 km ENE of Levuka, FijiMarch 29, 1998 · 250 km E of this epicenter
- 7.1208 km ENE of Levuka, FijiJuly 15, 2004 · 286 km E of this epicenter
- 7.0217 km ENE of Levuka, FijiAugust 25, 1963 · 294 km E of this epicenter
- 6.9130 km ENE of Labasa, FijiDecember 26, 1949 · 257 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.978 km ESE of Labasa, FijiNovember 16, 1979 · 167 km E of this epicenter
- 6.9195 km E of Levuka, FijiApril 16, 1993 · 277 km E 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 · 195 km away · intensity VIII
40 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1953M6.4
Fiji Islands
14 Sep 1953 · 115 km away
8 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1919M6.9
Rabi,Tunuloa Mission,Suvasavu
3 Oct 1919 · 184 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1979M6.9
Fiji Islands
16 Nov 1979 · 167 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1932M6.4
Koro,Mudu,Suvasavu
8 Mar 1932 · 159 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.