M5.3 earthquake 153 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 153 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga on Fri, Jul 2, 1971, 12:50 PM GMT-12 (00:50 UTC), 25 km (15 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
- 5.3 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1971-07-03 00:50:33 UTC
- Depth
- 24.5 km (15.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.520° S, 173.149° 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
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 2 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 iscgem781859. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 7:20 AM UTC.