M4.7 earthquake Fiji region
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck in the Fiji region on Thu, Mar 9, 1978, 7:36 AM GMT+13 (18:36 UTC), 437 km (272 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.2 Fiji region. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.7 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-03-08 18:36:56 UTC
- Depth
- 437.0 km (271.5 mi), deep
- Epicenter
- 19.549° S, 177.956° W
- Region
- Fiji
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 15
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.7 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.2Fiji region · 17725 days ago · 583 km deep · 69 km away
- 4.6264 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 17711 days ago · 487 km deep · 93 km away
- 5.0278 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 17706 days ago · 383 km deep · 64 km away
- 5.0Fiji region · 17702 days ago · 542 km deep · 55 km away
- 5.0Fiji region · 17677 days ago · 604 km deep · 25 km away
- 5.5Fiji region · 17676 days ago · 578 km deep · 58 km away
- 5.2296 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 17674 days ago · 516 km deep · 79 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayFiji earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000ta3. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC.