M4.8 earthquake 111 km N of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 111 km N of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, Dec 29, 1978, 7:45 AM GMT-11 (18:45 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.8 (mb, body-wave), light
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-12-29 18:45:31 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 14.949° S, 173.710° 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
- 15
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000y6b. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC.