M5.9 earthquake 144 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 144 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Mon, Mar 30, 1959, 8:20 PM GMT-11 (07:20 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.2 90 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
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
- 1959-03-31 07:20:49 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.136° S, 172.742° 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
- ±0.41
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem881683. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:26 AM UTC.