April 16, 1937 Earthquake: Fiji Islands
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Fiji Islands on April 16, 1937 at 03:01:37 UTC, 400 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- April 16, 1937
- Time
- 03:01:37 UTC
- Place
- Fiji Islands
- Magnitude
- 8.1 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 400 km (249 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 21.500° S, 177.000° W
- Country
- Fiji
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
April 16, 1937, 03:01:37 UTC, 21.5 S, 177 W, depth 400 km, magnitude 8.1 MS. (reference #88)
April 16, 1937, 03:01:37 UTC, 21.5 S, 177 W, magnitude 7.75 MS. (reference #130)
April 16, 1937, Tonga, depth 400 km, magnitude 7.8 MS. (reference #1002)
April 16, 1937, 03:01:37 UTC, 21.5 S, 177 W, depth 400 km, magnitude 8.1 MS. (reference #1006)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1937The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1937Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 3594.