M5.4 earthquake 95 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 95 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Wed, Aug 2, 1972, 2:10 PM GMT+13 (01:10 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.5 82 km SSE 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
- 5.4 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-08-02 01:10:58 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.891° S, 173.114° 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 2.4 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 iscgem770132. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:54 PM UTC.