M5.9 earthquake Tonga
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck in Tonga on Thu, Aug 3, 1939, 2:47 PM GMT+12:19:12 (02:28 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1939-08-03 02:28:29 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.465° S, 173.466° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.9 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem902102. Read Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 3:56 AM UTC.