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Fiji · Eastern

M5.9 Earthquake near Lau, Eastern (Fiji)

UTC time: 2026-10-14 10:49:48 UTC Local time: —

Magnitude

M5.9

Depth: 585.1 km
Source: USGS

Eastern · Lau

Country overview

Map

M5.9 Earthquake near Lau, Eastern (Fiji) · 2026-10-14 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near Lau, Eastern (Fiji) on October 14, 2026 at 10:49 UTC. The deep hypocenter at about 585 km dampens the shaking felt at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

07fed9f80e677d56d61be4c7c3843ff1e079c1cf

Magnitude

M5.9

Depth

585.1 km

UTC time

2026-10-14 10:49:48 UTC

Local time

—

Country

Fiji

State

Eastern

City

Lau

County

Lau

Source

usgs

Coordinates

-20.98990, -178.77110

Temperature

22.5°C

Depth profile

Deep

585.1 km

585.1 km — close to the regional average (568.9 km)

Regional average: 568.9 km

Why depth matters

Deep quakes are felt over very large areas but rarely cause surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.

Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Australia · about 250 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Nuku'alofa359.3 kmE22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Tofua Arc at 21.1°S

Distance: 314 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·Tonga
Tofua Arc at 21.3°S

Distance: 326 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -68 m ·Last eruption: 1932 ·Tonga
Tofua Arc at 20.9°S

Distance: 335 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -296 m ·Last eruption: 2017 ·Tonga
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai

Distance: 355 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 114 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Tonga
Fonuafo'ou

Distance: 357 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -17 m ·Last eruption: 1936 ·Tonga
Tofua

Distance: 410 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 515 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

7 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.4 to M5.9.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference

EMSCM5.5574.0 km15.0 km

GFZM5.5574.0 km12.4 km

INGVM5.7577.3 km10.2 km

ISCM5.8583.3 km14.3 km

RESIFM5.4576.6 km9.6 km

SCEDCM5.9585.1 km0.0 km

USGSM5.9585.1 km0.0 km

Eastern

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 104 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#15

Earlier events M≥4237

Earlier events M≥540

Compared since2025-01-05

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.32026-03-01 05:44:43 UTC121.9 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.3) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.22026-02-10 20:44:52 UTC34.4 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.2) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.22026-02-10 20:44:51 UTC34.4 kmFiji region M6.02026-02-10 20:44:52 UTC60.9 kmFiji Islands region [Sea: Fiji] M6.02025-06-06 19:28:31 UTC128.0 kmSOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS

Historic earthquake map · Fiji

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Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Fiji

Country overview

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)

623

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