M5.1 earthquake 182 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 182 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Jul 20, 1971, 12:23 PM GMT-11 (23:23 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.7 163 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1971-07-20 23:23:02 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.274° S, 172.764° 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
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 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 iscgem782512. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:18 AM UTC.