M5.6 earthquake 78 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 78 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Sat, Jan 8, 1972, 4:07 PM GMT+13 (03:07 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.0 47 km SE 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
- 5.6 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-01-08 03:07:55 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.854° S, 173.267° 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
- ±0.36
- 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 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 iscgem776779. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:41 AM UTC.