Samoa earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 164 km SSW of Matavai, Samoa

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 164 km SSW of Matavai, Samoa on Thu, Jan 1, 1976, 3:11 PM GMT-11 (02:11 UTC), 28 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 138 km E of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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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
5.3 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1976-01-02 02:11:55 UTC
Depth
28.0 km (17.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.474° S, 172.020° W
Region
Samoa
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
CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES
Stations used
35

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 10 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.5138 km E of Hihifo, Tonga · 18502 days ago · 36 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 4.4168 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18495 days ago · 104 km deep · 91 km away
  3. 5.9148 km SSW of Lotofag?, Samoa · 18486 days ago · 33 km deep · 36 km away

Before

  1. 4.5171 km SSW of Lotofag?, Samoa · 18529 days ago · 33 km deep · 27 km away
  2. 5.2137 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18529 days ago · 69 km deep · 60 km away
  3. 4.9117 km E of Hihifo, Tonga · 18530 days ago · 35 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 5.0132 km SSW of Matavai, Samoa · 18531 days ago · 18 km deep · 32 km away
  5. 5.6127 km SSW of Matavai, Samoa · 18532 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
  6. 5.5146 km S of Matavai, Samoa · 18532 days ago · 33 km deep · 20 km away
  7. 4.9123 km E of Hihifo, Tonga · 18532 days ago · 31 km deep · 94 km away
  8. 5.2144 km SSW of Lotofag?, Samoa · 18533 days ago · 33 km deep · 46 km away
  9. 4.9171 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18533 days ago · 33 km deep · 92 km away
  10. 7.8146 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18533 days ago · 33 km deep · 100 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000e88. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:33 AM UTC.