M4.9 earthquake 90 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 90 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga on Wed, Dec 19, 1973, 5:32 AM GMT-11 (16:32 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.2 103 km NE 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
- 4.9 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-12-19 16:32:28 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.675° S, 173.001° 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
- 15
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 and up: 3 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 usp00004k8. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 6:41 PM UTC.