M4.6 Earthquake 219 km E of Levuka, Fiji — January 21, 2025

On January 21, 2025 at 23:34 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 deep-focus earthquake struck 219 km E of Levuka, Fiji, at a depth of 535.9 km and coordinates -17.7604°, -178.6341°. This earthquake was detected by 49 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred 3 days ago 236 km E of Levuka, Fiji. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 4 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

The epicenter is located in Fiji, a region characterized by the Fiji Fracture Zone at the junction of the Pacific and Australian plates, with deep-focus seismicity from the subducted slab. View all earthquakes in Fiji.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences