M6.0 earthquake 79 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 79 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, Apr 21, 1972, 2:25 AM GMT-11 (13:25 UTC), 85 km (53 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), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-04-21 13:25:18 UTC
- Depth
- 85.0 km (52.8 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 15.311° S, 173.463° 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
- ±0.23
- 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 2 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 iscgem774638. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:48 PM UTC.