Earthquakes in the Solomon Islands — January 2025

14 earthquakes were recorded in the Solomon Islands during January 2025, an average of 0.5 per day.

14 reached magnitude 4 or above and 5 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 60 km.

The month's largest event in the Solomon Islands was a magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands on 15 January 2025 at 21:37 UTC. A magnitude 5.7 earthquake radiates roughly 5,351 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the the Solomon Islands monthly average of 6 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and down from the 15 recorded the previous month.

57% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 43% intermediate (70–300 km) and 0% deep-focus (over 300 km). A substantial share of intermediate-depth events points to a subducting slab beneath the region rather than purely crustal faulting.

By band, the catalogue holds 9 in the magnitude 4 range, 5 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 17 January, when 2 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.7 near Lata, Solomon Islands on 15 January at 48 km; M5.6 near Lata, Solomon Islands on 20 January at 35 km; M5.4 near Kirakira, Solomon Islands on 31 January at 10 km.

That is 132% above the 6 events the Solomon Islands averages per month across the 22 months on record.