EarthBrowserEarthquake · Friday, October 9, 2026
Magnitude 4.5 earthquake 249 km E of Levuka, Fiji
A magnitude 4.5 (light) earthquake struck 249 km E of Levuka, Fiji on Friday, October 9, 2026 at , at a depth of 560 km (deep).
- Magnitude
- 4.5Light
- Depth
- 560km · deep
- Time
- Epicenter
- 17.72° S
178.35° W - Aftershocks so far
- 24within 250 km
- Largest aftershock
- 5.5M
35 days ago · USGS id us6000u14e · last revised
The full globe opens the 3D cross-section: the hypocenter at depth, the plate boundary and subducting slab where there is one, the aftershock sequence as it grows, and the sea floor around an offshore epicenter.
What a magnitude 4.5 means
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicenter, rattling windows and shelves, but rarely cause damage.
A magnitude 4.5 releases about 32 times the seismic energy of a magnitude 3.5, roughly the energy of 85 tonnes of TNT. Magnitude measures the energy released at the source; how hard the ground shook at any one place depends on distance, depth and local geology, and is reported separately as intensity.
Deep earthquakes (below 300 km) happen far down in a sinking slab of oceanic plate. They are felt over very large distances but rarely cause damage, and they do not generate tsunamis.
Nearby earthquakes and aftershocks
This event is part of a sequence: a larger magnitude 5.5 struck 72 km away on Oct 26, 10:13 UTC, so this is most likely one of its foreshocks.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Depth | Distance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3 | 567 km | 43 km | 263 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.3 | 559 km | 33 km | 218 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.6 | 563 km | 190 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.4 | 550 km | 9 km | 256 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.2 | 586 km | 211 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.1 | 635 km | 143 km | 106 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.3 | 581 km | 52 km | 240 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.0 | 651 km | 24 km | 267 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.4 | 572 km | 182 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.3 | 618 km | 50 km | 287 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.8 | 372 km | 147 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.3 | 602 km | 21 km | 236 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.2 | 640 km | 86 km | 291 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.3 | 637 km | 77 km | 287 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 5.5 | 642 km | 72 km | 283 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.4 | 571 km | 53 km | 198 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.0 | 567 km | 212 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.3 | 592 km | 128 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.2 | 591 km | 58 km | 240 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.1 | 604 km | 104 km | 296 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.5 | 436 km | 202 km | 186 km S of Alo, Wallis and Futuna | |
| 4.3 | 566 km | 61 km | 188 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.4 | 541 km | 81 km | 168 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| 4.8 | 640 km | 152 km | 97 km E of Levuka, Fiji | |
| before | 5.1 | 602 km | 34 km | 236 km E of Levuka, Fiji |
| before | 4.4 | 584 km | 179 km | Fiji region |
| before | 4.2 | 409 km | 152 km | Fiji region |
| before | 4.2 | 596 km | 27 km | 230 km E of Levuka, Fiji |
Frequently asked questions
How is earthquake magnitude measured?
Modern magnitudes are moment magnitudes (Mw), computed from the seismic moment: the area of the fault that slipped, how far it slipped and the rigidity of the rock. Each whole step up the scale is about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 7 releases roughly a thousand times the energy of a magnitude 5.
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity?
Magnitude is one number for the whole earthquake, describing the energy released at the source. Intensity describes the shaking at a particular place, on the Modified Mercalli scale from I (not felt) to X+ (extreme), and falls off with distance from the epicenter.
What is an aftershock?
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake in the same area after a larger one, as the crust around the ruptured fault adjusts to the new stresses. They are most frequent in the first hours and days and fade over weeks to months, though a large mainshock can produce aftershocks for years.
Why do the magnitude and location change?
The first solution uses the nearest stations only. As recordings arrive from more seismographs around the world, USGS revises the magnitude, depth and epicenter, sometimes several times in the first hours. This page reflects the latest revision.
Where does this earthquake data come from?
From the U.S. Geological Survey’s real-time earthquake feeds, which combine the USGS National Earthquake Information Center with regional seismic networks worldwide. EarthBrowser ingests the feed every minute.