M5.1 earthquake 151 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 151 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Fri, Mar 17, 1978, 7:00 AM GMT+13 (18:00 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
- 5.1 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-03-16 18:00:56 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.967° S, 172.582° 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 2.1 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000teb. Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC.