M5.2 Earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — 29 June 2025
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.2 was recorded near south of the Fiji Islands on , at a focal depth of 578.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-06-29 22:27:39
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 5.2 (moderate)
Focal depth: 578.0 km (deep)
Epicentre: -23.7244, 179.2090
Location: south of the Fiji Islands
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 416, 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 -23.7244, 179.2090. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 7 km west of here on 15 April 2026.
Why the 578 km depth matters
At 578 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
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 M5.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 578 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly. 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
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.2.
88 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.6 event near south of the Fiji Islands on 29 July 2025. This M5.2 event released about 126 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 June 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.4 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (7 km W)
- M4.5 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (27 km N)
- M4.6 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (39 km NNW)
- M4.5 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (43 km ESE)
- M4.2 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (48 km NW)
- M5.1 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (57 km NW)
- M4.5 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (58 km ENE)
- M4.4 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (60 km SE)
- M4.6 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (69 km E)
- M4.4 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands — (69 km E)
Other magnitude 5 earthquakes worldwide
- 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 —
- M5.5 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 5.2 earthquake?
Moderate earthquakes can damage poorly built or unreinforced structures near the epicentre, while well-engineered buildings typically escape serious harm. Shaking is often strong enough to wake sleeping residents over a wide area. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands?
At 578 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.
Was the M5.2 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands 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 can be felt widely and may cause minor local damage. Its deep focus normally weakens surface shaking while spreading perceptible motion over a broad area.
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 M5.2 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 578 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.2.
How often do earthquakes happen near south of the Fiji Islands?
88 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.6 event near south of the Fiji Islands on 29 July 2025. This M5.2 event released about 126 times less energy than that event.