M4.9 Earthquake near Buala, Solomon Islands — 10 April 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was recorded near Buala, Solomon Islands on , with an epicentre 119 km west of Buala, at a focal depth of 76.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-04-10 17:16:35
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.9 (light)
Focal depth: 76.0 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: -7.9680, 158.5260
Location: 119 km W of Buala, Solomon Islands
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 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 369, 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.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at -7.9680, 158.5260 — 119 km west of Buala. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake 29 km south of here on 05 June 2026.
Why the 76 km depth matters
At 76 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
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 intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
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 M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; 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 in the seven days after this event.
17 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.3 event near Malango on 01 May 2025. This M4.9 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the April 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.8 earthquake near Buala, Solomon Islands — (29 km S)
- M4.7 earthquake near Malango, Solomon Islands — (117 km S)
- M4.9 earthquake near Gizo, Solomon Islands — (118 km SSW)
- M5.0 earthquake near Malango, Solomon Islands — (126 km S)
- M5.0 earthquake near Buala, Solomon Islands — (129 km SE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Gizo, Solomon Islands — (141 km SSW)
- M4.6 earthquake near Gizo, Solomon Islands — (146 km WSW)
- M5.2 earthquake near Gizo, Solomon Islands — (154 km WSW)
- M5.1 earthquake near Buala, Solomon Islands — (158 km ESE)
- M5.2 earthquake near Malango, Solomon Islands — (165 km SSE)
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.9 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M5.2 earthquake near Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia —
- M5.2 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.9 earthquake near Matsubase, Japan —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near Tristan da Cunha region —
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.9 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 4.9 earthquake radiates roughly 338 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Buala?
At 76 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
Was the M4.9 earthquake near Buala felt?
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 intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
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 M4.9 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near Buala?
17 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.3 event near Malango on 01 May 2025. This M4.9 event released about 4.0 times less energy than that event.