Tonga earthquakes

M4.3 earthquake 150 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck 150 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Apr 12, 1977, 11:02 PM GMT-11 (10:02 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 194 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.3 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1977-04-13 10:02:42 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
17.106° S, 173.038° 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
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 7 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.1194 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18057 days ago · 33 km deep · 46 km away
  2. 5.1152 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18050 days ago · 33 km deep · 82 km away
  3. 4.7126 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18048 days ago · 33 km deep · 66 km away
  4. 5.3175 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18042 days ago · 33 km deep · 26 km away
  5. 5.2221 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18037 days ago · 33 km deep · 97 km away
  6. 4.4133 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18034 days ago · 62 km deep · 87 km away

Before

  1. 4.9176 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 18059 days ago · 33 km deep · 80 km away
  2. 4.7174 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18062 days ago · 33 km deep · 94 km away
  3. 4.9209 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 18063 days ago · 35 km deep · 71 km away
  4. 4.9173 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 18065 days ago · 33 km deep · 45 km away
  5. 5.1178 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 18065 days ago · 33 km deep · 77 km away
  6. 4.9207 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18068 days ago · 68 km deep · 67 km away
  7. 5.1134 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 18070 days ago · 33 km deep · 86 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000nd0. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:54 AM UTC.