M5.0 earthquake 173 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 173 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Jul 4, 1978, 1:43 AM GMT-11 (12:43 UTC), 29 km (18 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.4 144 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-07-04 12:43:35 UTC
- Depth
- 29.0 km (18.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 16.936° S, 172.534° 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
- 41
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.9204 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 17617 days ago · 41 km deep · 42 km away
- 5.4144 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 17616 days ago · 33 km deep · 29 km away
- 5.0147 km E of Hihifo, Tonga · 17603 days ago · 33 km deep · 98 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000ve5. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 3:21 AM UTC.