M5.8 earthquake 135 km SW of Gataivai, Samoa
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 135 km SW of Gataivai, Samoa on Sat, Oct 2, 2021, 5:24 PM GMT+13 (04:24 UTC), 20 km (12 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (mww), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 2021-10-02 04:24:29 UTC
- Depth
- 19.7 km (12.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 14.607° S, 173.304° W
- Region
- Samoa
- Felt reports
- 3
- Strongest shaking
- III, weak shaking
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- III, weak shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 0.9% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.2 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
3 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.
Estimated impact
The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.
- Alert level
- Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected
| Range | Chance |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 65% |
| 1 to 10 | 30% |
| 10 to 100 | 4% |
| 100 to 1,000 | Under 1% |
| 1,000 to 10,000 | Under 1% |
| 10,000 to 100,000 | Under 1% |
| 100,000 to 10,000,000 | Under 1% |
| Range, million USD | Chance |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 65% |
| 1 to 10 | 30% |
| 10 to 100 | 4% |
| 100 to 1,000 | Under 1% |
| 1,000 to 10,000 | Under 1% |
| 10,000 to 100,000 | Under 1% |
| 100,000 to 10,000,000 | Under 1% |
Fault motion and ground failure
How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.
- Faulting
- Strike-slip
- Moment magnitude
- 5.8 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 297°, dip 83°, rake 3°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 207°, dip 87°, rake 173°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 9.7 km horizontally, 5.0 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.08
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 84°
- Stations used
- 24
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.8 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.4129 km SW of Gataivai, Samoa · 1824 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
- 5.481 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1820 days ago · 35 km deep · 91 km away · felt by 4
- 4.294 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1792 days ago · 10 km deep · 93 km away
- 4.2115 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1781 days ago · 10 km deep · 44 km away
- 4.385 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1774 days ago · 35 km deep · 75 km away
- 5.4130 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1769 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away · felt by 4
- 5.2114 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1769 days ago · 10 km deep · 48 km away · felt by 2
Before
- 4.6136 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1824 days ago · 10 km deep · 40 km away
- 4.3105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1833 days ago · 149 km deep · 57 km away
- 4.995 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 1842 days ago · 110 km deep · 84 km away · felt by 1
- 4.7106 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1849 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
- 4.692 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 1852 days ago · 10 km deep · 68 km away
Earthquakes todaySamoa earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000fqzn (also filed as usauto6000fqzn, iscgem621116400). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 10:33 AM UTC.