Earthquake.now

M4.2 Earthquake near Fiji region — 21 September 2026

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded near Fiji region on , at a focal depth of 409.3 km. It ranked as the 11th strongest of 15 earthquakes recorded in Fiji in the preceding 30 days.

4.2 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-09-21 17:22:46

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.2 (light)

Focal depth: 409.3 km (deep)

Epicentre: -18.7759, -177.4360

Location: Fiji region

Country: Fiji

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 271, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 05:33 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.

This event was shallower than 94% of the 319 earthquakes recorded in Fiji in our catalogue and stronger than 13% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -18.7759, -177.4360. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 5.0 earthquake 2 km west-northwest of here on 03 September 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Neiafu (187 km east), Fangale’ounga (214 km east-southeast), Levuka (214 km southwest) and Pangai (219 km southeast).

Why the 409 km depth matters

At 409 km this was a deep-focus earthquake, occurring well inside the subducting slab rather than in the crust. Deep events are rarely damaging even at large magnitudes, though they can be felt over very long distances.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 409 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

341 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Neiafu on 24 March 2026. This M4.2 event released about 89,125 times less energy than that event.

52 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 3 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the September 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Fiji during September 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Fiji

All recorded earthquakes in Fiji →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Fiji region?

It measured magnitude 4.2 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.2 earthquake radiates roughly 30 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Fiji region?

The focus was 409 km below the surface, which counts as deep.

Was the Fiji region earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.2 and a focal depth of 409 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Fiji region happen?

21 September 2026 at 17:22 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre since this event was recorded.

How often do earthquakes happen near Fiji region?

341 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.5 event near Neiafu on 24 March 2026. This M4.2 event released about 89,125 times less energy than that event.