4.6

M4.6 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJanuary 25, 2025

2025-01-25 22:08:49 UTC (2025-01-25) · approx. 9:08 AM UTC+11 local

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time22:08 UTC9:08 AM UTC+11
Depth53.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-22.316°, 172.366°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On January 25, 2025 at 22:08 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 53.0 km and coordinates -22.3158°, 172.3662°. This earthquake was detected by 25 seismic stations with moderate 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.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -22.32°, 172.37°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
53.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-22.3158°N
172.3662°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000pb1z
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
326
Stations Used
25
Azimuthal Gap
254.0°
Min Station Distance
4.560°
RMS Residual
1.15 sec
Last Updated
2025-04-08 22:01:03 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on January 25, 2025 at 22:08 UTC had a depth of 53.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -22.3158°, 172.3662°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pb1z). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 25, 2025). M4.6 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJanuary 25, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pb1z/