M5.0 earthquake 105 km N of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 105 km N of Hihifo, Tonga on Sun, Dec 31, 1972, 6:22 PM GMT-11 (05:22 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.5 29 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-01-01 05:22:29 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.012° S, 173.958° 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.
- Depth from
- OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
- Stations used
- 23
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 4 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 usp0000002. Read Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC.