In the South Pacific Ocean 268 kilometer from Labasa, Fiji, a significant M5.1 earthquake occurred in the morning of Thursday August 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 180 kilometers (112 mi) off the coast of Fiji, 268 kilometer south-east of Labasa in Northern. The center of this earthquake had a very deep depth of 584 km. Deep earthquakes usually have less impact than shallower earthquakes of similar strenght.
| Date and Time: | Aug 13, 2026 10:13 (Fiji Time) - Aug 12, 2026 22:13 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 268 km SE of Labasa, Northern, Fiji. Coordinates 17°48'51"S 178°34'12"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 537 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.025 . |
| Depth: | 584 km (363 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 268 kilometer (167 mi) south-east of Labasa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 268 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Labasa Northern, Fiji. |
2 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 2 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 20 hrs later 13 km (8 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.0 |
2 days earlier Aug 11, 2026 02:31 (Fiji Time) | 25 km (15 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Aug 13, 2026 10:13 (Fiji Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
16 hrs later Aug 14, 2026 02:39 (Fiji Time) | 26 km (16 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
20 hrs later Aug 14, 2026 06:03 (Fiji Time) | 13 km (8 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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 July 5th, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 240 km (149 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on August 19th, 2018.
In total, 143 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 26 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 584 km (363 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 09/09/26 01:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tkba
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260812_0000332
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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