M4.4 earthquake 168 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck 168 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga on Thu, Mar 1, 1973, 2:06 AM GMT-12 (14:06 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M4.6 182 km ENE 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
- 4.4 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-03-01 14:06:04 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.396° S, 173.086° 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
- 17
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.6182 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga · 19517 days ago · 33 km deep · 75 km away
- 4.6120 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 19516 days ago · 78 km deep · 50 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00000ss. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC.