M4.9 Earthquake 115 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands — September 18, 2023
2023-09-18 22:40:57 UTC (2023-09-18) · approx. 9:40 AM UTC+11 local
On September 18, 2023 at 22:40 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 115 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -9.9980°, 160.8342°. This earthquake was detected by 97 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
160.8342°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Honiara, Solomon Islands?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 115 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands on September 18, 2023 at 22:40 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -9.9980°, 160.8342°, which is 115 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000kwk7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, September 18, 2023). M4.9 Earthquake 115 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands — September 18, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000kwk7/