118 km NNE of Tadine, New Caledonia

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake — a major event — struck near 118 km NNE of Tadine, New Caledonia on January 13, 2011, at a shallow depth of about 9 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they tend to cause the strongest shaking and the most damage. 5 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.