M5.2 earthquake 194 km E of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 194 km E of Neiafu, Tonga on Thu, Jan 5, 1978, 4:56 AM GMT-11 (15:56 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
- 5.2 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-01-05 15:56:55 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.609° S, 172.139° 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
- 10
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000scb. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 6:13 AM UTC.