5.3

M5.3 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJuly 5, 2025

2025-07-05 19:47:31 UTC (2025-07-05) · approx. 6:47 AM UTC+11 local

MagnitudeM5.3(mww)
Time19:47 UTC6:47 AM UTC+11
Depth30.5 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-22.702°, 172.089°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 5, 2025 at 19:47 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, at a depth of 30.5 km and coordinates -22.7016°, 172.0886°. This earthquake was detected by 78 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 432, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -22.70°, 172.09°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.3 mww
Depth
30.5 km
shallow crustal
Location
-22.7016°N
172.0886°E

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000qavd
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
432
Stations Used
78
Azimuthal Gap
68.0°
Min Station Distance
4.289°
RMS Residual
0.81 sec
Last Updated
2025-09-12 16:23:09 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake southeast of the Loyalty Islands?

The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands on July 5, 2025 at 19:47 UTC had a depth of 30.5 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -22.7016°, 172.0886°, which is southeast of the Loyalty Islands.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000qavd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, July 5, 2025). M5.3 Earthquake southeast of the Loyalty IslandsJuly 5, 2025. Retrieved September 12, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000qavd/