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Fiji · Eastern

M5.4 Earthquake near Lau, Eastern (Fiji)

UTC time: 2026-08-19 18:45:30 UTC Local time: —

Earthquake newsQuakeMap24

Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude

M5.4

Depth: 556.8 km
Source: USGS

Eastern · Lau

Country overview

Map

M5.4 Earthquake near Lau, Eastern (Fiji) · 2026-08-19 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 19, 2026 at 18:45 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near Lau, Eastern (Fiji). At roughly 557 km, the focus was very deep, so surface shaking tends to be weaker. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

c85e4ea340185c6acf20eb1601fc717c7771ddcf

Magnitude

M5.4

Depth

556.8 km

UTC time

2026-08-19 18:45:30 UTC

Local time

—

Country

Fiji

State

Eastern

City

Lau

County

Lau

Source

usgs

Coordinates

-17.80490, -178.66380

Temperature

22.3°C

Depth profile

Deep

556.8 km

556.8 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.

Ground shaking

Weak · Intensity (MMI) II

Felt by a few, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Australia Plate.

Near the boundary Niuafoʻou ↔ Australia · about 205 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Labasa259.2 kmNW27'949

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Taveuni

Distance: 175 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'241 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Fiji
Lobster

Distance: 374 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'500 m ·Tonga
Niuafo'ou

Distance: 406 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga
Dugong

Distance: 410 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'170 m ·Tonga
Lateiki

Distance: 428 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
Home Reef

Distance: 431 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

Lakeba Island AirportFiji · LKB · NFNK
46.7 kmStraight-line distance
Vanua Balavu AirportFiji · VBV · NFVB
68.2 kmStraight-line distance
Cicia AirportFiji · ICI · NFCI
72.1 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-05

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0

First 24 hours1

First 72 hours1

Strongest subsequent eventM5.3

M5.32026-08-20 12:27:35 UTC23.8 kmLau M4.62026-08-23 05:39:21 UTC83.7 kmLau M4.92026-09-06 21:08:42 UTC30.6 kmLau M4.42026-09-07 22:35:23 UTC44.8 kmLau M4.22026-09-14 11:45:17 UTC41.6 kmLau

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.5.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference

EMSCM5.2558.0 km16.3 km

GFZM5.5566.0 km18.1 km

ISCM5.4556.0 km0.0 km

USGSM5.4556.8 km0.0 km

RESIFM5.0565.8 km12.2 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#14

Earlier events M≥4259

Earlier events M≥543

Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-05-15 21:14:31 UTC79.1 kmFiji Islands Region M5.72026-05-15 21:14:31 UTC78.7 km M5.62026-08-12 22:13:34 UTC15.3 kmLau M5.62025-11-08 04:15:04 UTC123.0 kmFiji region M5.62025-08-26 01:32:48 UTC14.1 kmFIJI REGION

Historic earthquake map · Fiji

Open history map

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

Country statistics · Fiji