Tonga earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 32 km SW of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 32 km SW of Hihifo, Tonga on Sat, Dec 27, 1975, 3:56 AM GMT-11 (14:56 UTC), 173 km (107 mi) below the surface.

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.8 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1975-12-27 14:56:39 UTC
Depth
173.0 km (107.5 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
16.186° S, 173.976° 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
15

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000e3w. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:58 AM UTC.