Fiji earthquakes

M5.7 earthquake 231 km E of Levuka, Fiji

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 231 km E of Levuka, Fiji on Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 8:02 AM GMT+12 (20:02 UTC), 575 km (357 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.1 141 km E of Levuka, Fiji. This one was a foreshock.

Labasa forecast More in Fiji

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.7 (mww), moderate
Local time: Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 8:02 AM GMT+12
UTC: 2021-12-17 20:02:30 UTC
Depth: 575.1 km (357.4 mi), deep
Epicenter: 17.985° S, 178.502° W
Region: Fiji
Strongest shaking: II, 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: II, weak shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 0.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: -3.8 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

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

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
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%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
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: 5.7 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 69°, dip 43°, rake -151°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 316°, dip 70°, rake -51°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 9.4 km horizontally, 3.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.07
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 38°
Stations used: 237

Nearest places

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

Labasa, FijiPopulation 27,949. Forecast285 kmSE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 40 in the 60 days after this one and 21 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Fiji earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000gd7w (also filed as usauto6000gd7w, iscgem621633308). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC.