Significant M5.7 Earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 263km from Labasa (Fiji) on Tuesday Night.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 29th, 2024. Last updated September 26th, 2024.

A significant M5.7 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 263 kilometer from Labasa, Fiji just after midnight of Tuesday July 30th, 2024. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 174 kilometers (108 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 263 kilometer east-southeast of Labasa in Northern. The center of this earthquake had a very deep depth of 592 km. Deep earthquakes usually have less impact than shallower earthquakes of similar strenght.

Date and Time:	Jul 30, 2024 00:11 (Fiji Time) - Jul 29, 2024 12:11 Universal Time.
Location:	263 km ESE of Labasa, Northern, Fiji. Coordinates 17°33'24"S 178°27'41"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 21 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.068 .
Depth:	592 km (368 mi) A very deep depth.
Max. Intensity:	II Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Not many people felt this earthquake

All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Fiji .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
37,730	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
0	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Fiji . Labasa in Northern, Fiji is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 263 kilometer (163 mi) east-southeast of Labasa.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
263 km (163 mi) WNW from epicenter	Labasa Northern, Fiji.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is I.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

3 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 3 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 1 min later 1.9 km (1.2 mi) south-southwest of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.7	Jul 30, 2024 00:11 (Fiji Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.7	1 min later Jul 30, 2024 00:12 (Fiji Time)	1.9 km (1.2 mi) SSW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.3	2 days later Aug 1, 2024 02:25 (Fiji Time)	27 km (17 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.4	2 days later Aug 1, 2024 05:37 (Fiji Time)	48 km (30 mi) SSW from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 31st, 2023, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 60 km (37 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.

In total, 41 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.7. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 592 km (368 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 26/09/24 20:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.