MAP 5.3 2011/04/10 16:18:19 -23.559 179.854 520.4 SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 2011/04/10 04:45:22 -28.754 -176.962 31.6 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Magnitude 5.3
Date-Time Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 16:18:19 UTC
Monday, April 11, 2011 at 04:18:19 AM at epicenter
Location 23.559°S, 179.854°E
Depth 520.4 km (323.4 miles)
Region SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances 622 km (386 miles) SSE (166°) from SUVA, Fiji
1558 km (968 miles) NNE (20°) from Auckland, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 17.5 km (10.9 miles); depth +/- 9.6 km (6.0 miles)
Parameters NST=160, Nph=165, Dmin=671.3 km, Rmss=0.77 sec, Gp= 97°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver
Event ID usc0002mnc
Magnitude 5.0
Date-Time Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 04:45:22 UTC
Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 04:45:22 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 28.754°S, 176.962°W
Depth 31.6 km (19.6 miles)
Region KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Distances 108 km (67 miles) ENE of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands
351 km (218 miles) NNE of L'Esperance Rock, Kermadec Islands
862 km (535 miles) SSW of NUKU`ALOFA, Tonga
1187 km (737 miles) NE of Auckland, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 22.4 km (13.9 miles); depth +/- 7.7 km (4.8 miles)
Parameters NST= 92, Nph= 98, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.69 sec, Gp= 58°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usc0002mle
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http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=167847Daily tremors good for Fiji
Avinesh Gopal
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
TREMORS in the Fiji Group are recorded almost every day by seismologists but they're often minor to moderate in size and cannot be felt on the earth's surface.
The epicentre of the tremors is between 400 and 500 kilometres within the earth's inner crust and most measure around three on the Richter scale.
"It's good to have small ones like that because the energy is released from right down below," Sefanaia Seru, a seismologist with the Mineral Resources Department, said.
"We normally record tremors every day but most are minor to moderate in size and people can't feel it on the surface because it's deep down.
"There are actually two major active fault lines - one is above the Yasawa Group and extends to Taveuni while the other is in the South of Kadavu.
"In reality, we can't forecast earthquakes like cyclones and even seismologists globally can't predict it - that's the major problem.
"Only when it happens then we can tell and how frequently it happens is all a matter of timing."
Mr Seru said Fiji was unfortunate to sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which includes Vanuatu and the Tonga region.
"Because the trench where the two big tectonic plates meet is far from us, the Tonga and Vanuatu trenches are the tsunami triggering zones and if there's a tsunami from there then we in Fiji have sufficient time to be warned," he said.
"We have active fault lines in Fiji that can generate a tsunami like in 1953 but the probability is low."
Mr Seru said the only way people could prepare themselves from an earthquake was by strengthening buildings and reinforcing their houses.
"For a tsunami, people in low-lying areas should have their own evacuation routes to higher ground whenever there is a warning," he said.