Samoa earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 72 km WSW of Asau, Samoa

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 72 km WSW of Asau, Samoa on Fri, Jul 16, 1982, 12:12 AM GMT-11 (11:12 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 141 km SW of Gataivai, Samoa. This one was a foreshock.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.8 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1982-07-16 11:12:16 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
13.763° S, 173.260° 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
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Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001nfa. Read Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 8:42 PM UTC.