M5.8 earthquake 47 km ESE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 47 km ESE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on Sun, Aug 16, 1959, 1:34 AM GMT+12:20 (13:14 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1959-08-15 13:14:30 UTC
- Depth
- 25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 21.554° S, 174.555° 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
- ±0.30
- 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: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem882642. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 6:37 AM UTC.