M5.2 earthquake 233 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 233 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga on Thu, Jan 12, 1978, 7:05 AM GMT-11 (18:05 UTC), 23 km (14 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
- 1978-01-12 18:05:03 UTC
- Depth
- 23.0 km (14.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.532° S, 172.115° 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
- 73
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 usp0000sfe (also filed as gcmtb011278a, gcmt19780112180503, iscgem687557). Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC.