M6.0 Earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — 23 February 2025
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 was recorded near Lata, Solomon Islands on , with an epicentre 80 km southeast of Lata, at a focal depth of 36.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-02-23 18:16:18
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 6.0 (strong)
Focal depth: 36.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: -11.2833, 166.2670
Location: 80 km SE of Lata, Solomon Islands
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 554, 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 -11.2833, 166.2670 — 80 km southeast of Lata. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 19 km south of here on 18 April 2025.
Why the 36 km depth matters
At 36 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper 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 M6.0 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.
68 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.3 event near Lata on 14 August 2025. This M6.0 event released about 2.8 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 February 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.5 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (19 km S)
- M5.5 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (20 km SSE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (24 km NNW)
- M5.0 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (26 km SSE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (28 km W)
- M4.7 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (29 km S)
- M5.2 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (31 km S)
- M4.9 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (32 km S)
- M5.7 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (36 km SSE)
- M6.3 earthquake near Lata, Solomon Islands — (41 km SSW)
Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.9 earthquake near Colonia, Micronesia —
- M5.8 earthquake near Kermadec Islands region —
- M5.9 earthquake near Kermadec Islands region —
- M5.9 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico —
- M5.8 earthquake near Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia —
- M5.8 earthquake near Oula Xiuma, China —
- M5.8 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M5.8 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 6.0 earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Lata?
At 36 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M6.0 earthquake near Lata 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 produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper 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 M6.0 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 Lata?
68 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.3 event near Lata on 14 August 2025. This M6.0 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.