A significant MAG-5.3 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 286 kilometer from Labasa, Fiji in the late afternoon of Saturday November 2nd, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 200 kilometers (124 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 286 kilometer south-east of Labasa in Northern. The center of this earthquake had a very deep depth of 580 km. Deep earthquakes usually have less impact than shallower earthquakes of similar strenght.
| Date and Time: | Nov 2, 2024 17:03 (Fiji Time) - Nov 2, 2024 05:03 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 286 km SE of Labasa, Northern, Fiji. Coordinates 17°57'54"S 178°28'7"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 239 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.037 . |
| Depth: | 580 km (360 mi) A very deep depth. |
| 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. |
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 286 kilometer (178 mi) south-east of Labasa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 286 km (178 mi) NW from epicenter |
Labasa Northern, Fiji. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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 17th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 235 km (146 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.
In total, 131 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 28 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 580 km (360 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/11/24 17:18 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nphp
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241102_0000059
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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