M6.0 earthquake 142 km E of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 142 km E of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, Dec 22, 1972, 5:22 AM GMT-11 (16:22 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
- 6.0 (mw), strong
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-12-22 16:22:07 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 16.119° S, 172.480° 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
- ±0.67
- 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: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem766541. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:07 AM UTC.