M5.3 earthquake 126 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 126 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Mon, Sep 1, 1975, 9:38 AM GMT-11 (20:38 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.4 127 km SSW of Gataivai, Samoa. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1975-09-01 20:38:53 UTC
- Depth
- 25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.230° S, 172.888° 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.
- Stations used
- 13
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 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 usp0000cp0. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:52 AM UTC.