M4.4 Earthquake south of the Fiji Islands — December 29, 2023
2023-12-29 17:58:18 UTC (2023-12-29) · approx. 5:58 AM UTC-12 local
On December 29, 2023 at 17:58 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 deep-focus earthquake struck south of the Fiji Islands, at a depth of 520.5 km and coordinates -23.5389°, -179.8720°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-179.8720°E
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake south of the Fiji Islands?
The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck south of the Fiji Islands on December 29, 2023 at 17:58 UTC had a depth of 520.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m2qn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 29, 2023). M4.4 Earthquake south of the Fiji Islands — December 29, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m2qn/