6.0

M6.0 Earthquake 665 km S of Suva, FijiJuly 24, 2023

2023-07-24 02:49:56 UTC (2023-07-24) · approx. 2:49 PM UTC+12 local

MagnitudeM6.0(mww)
Time02:49 UTC2:49 PM UTC+12
Depth523.0 kmdeep-focus
Coordinates-24.096°, 178.742°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On July 24, 2023 at 02:49 UTC, a magnitude 6.0 deep-focus earthquake struck 665 km S of Suva, Fiji, at a depth of 523.0 km and coordinates -24.0956°, 178.7423°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 117 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 554, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 8.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -24.10°, 178.74°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M6.0 earthquake near 665 km S of Suva, Fiji

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
6.0 mww
Depth
523.0 km
deep-focus
Location
-24.0956°N
178.7423°E
Intensity (MMI)
1.8
weak

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000khw8
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
554
Stations Used
117
Azimuthal Gap
18.0°
Min Station Distance
5.930°
RMS Residual
0.72 sec
Last Updated
2023-09-30 21:36:39 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 6.0 earthquake near Suva, Fiji?

The magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck 665 km S of Suva, Fiji on July 24, 2023 at 02:49 UTC had a depth of 523.0 km. For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -24.0956°, 178.7423°, which is 665 km S of Suva, Fiji. View all earthquakes in Fiji.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.0 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000khw8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 24, 2023). M6.0 Earthquake 665 km S of Suva, FijiJuly 24, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000khw8/