M4.9 earthquake Fiji region
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck in the Fiji region on Sun, Jan 18, 1981, 6:45 PM GMT+12 (06:45 UTC), 585 km (364 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.1 263 km E of Levuka, Fiji. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.9 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-01-18 06:45:48 UTC
- Depth
- 585.0 km (363.5 mi), deep
- Epicenter
- 18.356° S, 177.720° 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
- 10
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.6Fiji region · 16673 days ago · 632 km deep · 62 km away
- 5.1263 km E of Levuka, Fiji · 16653 days ago · 630 km deep · 52 km away
- 4.6Fiji region · 16647 days ago · 398 km deep · 81 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayFiji earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bse. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 4:19 PM UTC.