Earthquakes in the Solomon Islands — December 2024

3 earthquakes were recorded in the Solomon Islands during December 2024, an average of 0.1 per day.

3 reached magnitude 4 or above and 1 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 13 km.

The month's largest event in the Solomon Islands was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Gizo, Solomon Islands on 15 December 2024 at 01:33 UTC. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the the Solomon Islands monthly average of 2 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 2 recorded the previous month.

100% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 0% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). Almost everything here is crustal. That is characteristic of transform faulting or continental deformation rather than subduction — and it means shaking at the surface is strong for the magnitudes involved.

By band, the catalogue holds 2 in the magnitude 4 range, 1 in the magnitude 5 range.

The month's largest events were M5.2 near Gizo, Solomon Islands on 15 December at 10 km; M4.9 near Panguna, Solomon Islands on 17 December at 18 km; M4.3 near Gizo, Solomon Islands on 08 December at 10 km.

That is 50% above the 2 events the Solomon Islands averages per month across the 2 months on record.

This month also holds the strongest earthquake recorded in the Solomon Islands in our entire catalogue.