In brief
The GFZ announced a 5.1‑magnitude quake at 1909 GMT on Monday near the south of Fiji, at a depth of 557 km and an initial epicenter of 23.55° S, 179.57° W. The report added no details on damage or casualties. Other sources, including a USGS final report and a VolcanoDiscovery posting, recorded a slightly stronger 5.3‑magnitude event at a similar depth.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported on Monday night that a deep earthquake of magnitude 5.1 struck the south of the Fiji Islands at 1909 GMT, with the initial epicenter located at 23.55° S, 179.57° W and a depth of 557 km.
GfZ’s brief bulletin noted that no further information on damage or casualties was available at the time of release.
Other reports about the same shock differ on the magnitude: a U.S. Geological Survey final report and a VolcanoDiscovery post both claim the earth moved with magnitude 5.3, at depths listed as 538 km and 550 km respectively.
These independent accounts confirm the event’s deep depth and its location in the South Pacific Ocean, roughly 500–600 km below sea level and south of Fiji.
Because of the depth, the earthquake was unlikely to have caused surface damage, though additional monitoring will continue to ensure no aftershocks of greater concern are detected.
