M5.8 earthquake 101 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 101 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, May 31, 1963, 12:58 PM GMT-11 (23:58 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.9 91 km NNE 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
- 5.8 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1963-05-31 23:58:48 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.262° S, 173.174° 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
- ±0.22
- 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: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.991 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 23124 days ago · 20 km deep · 22 km away
- 6.0107 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 23118 days ago · 20 km deep · 11 km away
- 6.0125 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 23118 days ago · 20 km deep · 65 km away
- 5.6101 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 23118 days ago · 20 km deep · 40 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem872426. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 12:58 AM UTC.