Significant M5.9 Earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 331km from Suva (Fiji) on Sunday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on November 23rd, 2024. Last updated December 20th, 2024.

In the morning of Sunday November 24th, 2024, a significant M5.9 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 331 kilometer from Suva, Fiji. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 3 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 198 kilometers (123 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 331 kilometer east of Suva in Central. 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:	Nov 24, 2024 08:04 (Fiji Time) - Nov 23, 2024 19:04 Universal Time.
Location:	331 km east of Suva, Central, Fiji. Coordinates 17°53'60"S 178°26'21"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 31 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.056 .
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.

Roughly 3 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 3 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 2,860 people were exposed to level II. At this level, very weak shaking and no damage can be expected. Intensity level I was experienced by the majority of people (around 40 thousand). In their region, not noticeable and no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Fiji .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
35,060	I	Not noticable	None
2,860	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 . Located 285 kilometer (177 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Labasa (Northern, Fiji) is the nearest significant population center.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
285 km (177 mi) NW from epicenter	Labasa Northern, Fiji.
331 km (206 mi) W from epicenter	Suva Central, Fiji.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is II. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

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

This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 69 km (43 mi) north-northwest of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Roughly 13 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.3 was detected nearby 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
Foreshock	M 4.3	13 hrs earlier Nov 23, 2024 18:42 (Fiji Time)	19 km (12 mi) WNW from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.9	Nov 24, 2024 08:04 (Fiji Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.3	31 mins later Nov 24, 2024 08:35 (Fiji Time)	9 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.2	16 hrs later Nov 24, 2024 23:39 (Fiji Time)	80 km (50 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	2 days later Nov 26, 2024 01:13 (Fiji Time)	69 km (43 mi) NNW 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.

In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.

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 November 6th, 2024, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 62 km (38 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.

In total, 39 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9 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 5.9. 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 20/12/24 22:08 (). 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.