Earthquake.now

M4.8 Earthquake near Fiji region — 18 March 2026

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.8 was recorded near Fiji region on , at a focal depth of 572.5 km. It ranked as the 6th strongest of 15 earthquakes recorded in Fiji in the preceding 30 days.

4.8 Light

Time (UTC): 2026-03-18 20:51:06

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.8 (light)

Focal depth: 572.5 km (deep)

Epicentre: -19.3883, -177.5910

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 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 354, 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 09:00 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was deeper than 50% of the 312 earthquakes recorded in Fiji in our catalogue and stronger than 77% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -19.3883, -177.5910. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 19 km northeast of here on 31 July 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Levuka (164 km west-southwest), Pangai (203 km east-southeast), Houma (205 km south) and Neiafu (217 km east-northeast).

Why the 572 km depth matters

At 572 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 M4.8 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 572 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

2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.9.

371 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Fiji region on 10 February 2026. This M4.8 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.

41 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 March 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Fiji during March 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 4.8 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Fiji region?

The focus was 572 km below the surface, which counts as deep.

Was the Fiji region earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.8 and a focal depth of 572 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Fiji region happen?

18 March 2026 at 20:51 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

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

Have there been aftershocks?

2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.9.

How often do earthquakes happen near Fiji region?

371 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Fiji region on 10 February 2026. This M4.8 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.