M5.6 earthquake 72 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 72 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Aug 17, 1971, 12:46 PM GMT-11 (23:46 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
- 5.6 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1971-08-17 23:46:35 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.555° S, 173.264° 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
- ±0.25
- 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 iscgem781334. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:59 AM UTC.