M4.5 earthquake 176 km WSW of Asau, Samoa
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 176 km WSW of Asau, Samoa on Mon, Jan 12, 1981, 5:01 AM GMT-11 (16:01 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-01-12 16:01:20 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 14.292° S, 174.069° W
- Region
- Samoa
- 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.
- Depth from
- OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
- Stations used
- 8
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todaySamoa earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bpr. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 6:59 AM UTC.