Earthquakes in Fiji — December 2024

18 earthquakes were recorded in Fiji during December 2024, an average of 0.6 per day.

18 reached magnitude 4 or above and 4 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 572 km.

The month's largest event in Fiji was a magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Levuka, Fiji on 17 December 2024 at 22:10 UTC. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake radiates roughly 3,788 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the Fiji monthly average of 14 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 11 recorded the previous month.

0% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 0% intermediate (70–300 km) and 100% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 14 in the magnitude 4 range, 4 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 12 December, when 2 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.6 near Levuka, Fiji on 17 December at 536 km; M5.6 near Fiji region on 25 December at 459 km; M5.4 near Fiji region on 03 December at 575 km.

That is 27% above the 14 events Fiji averages per month across the 22 months on record.