M5.9 earthquake 79 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 79 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga on Wed, Mar 16, 1960, 6:39 AM GMT-11 (17:39 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
- 5.9 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1960-03-16 17:39:22 UTC
- Depth
- 25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.782° S, 173.076° 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
- ±0.28
- 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: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem878541. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 2:02 PM UTC.