Strong and shallow M6.3 earthquake hits near the coast of Solomon Islands
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit near the coast of Solomon Islands at 05:02 UTC (16:02 LT) on January 27, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 17 km (10.5 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.3 at a depth of 47 km (29.2 miles).
The epicenter was located 105.5 km (65.4 miles) WNW of Kirakira (population 1 122), 139.4 km (86.4 miles) ESE of Honiara (population 56 298), Solomon Islands, and 738.5 km (457.9 miles) SE of Arawa (population 40 266), Papua New Guinea.
There are about 89 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).
23 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 414 000 light.
The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) construction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: Google, TW/SAM
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.