M5.2 earthquake 168 km W of Pangai, Tonga
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 168 km W of Pangai, Tonga on Mon, Sep 18, 1978, 10:16 AM GMT+13 (21:16 UTC), 258 km (160 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
- 1978-09-17 21:16:21 UTC
- Depth
- 258.0 km (160.3 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.666° S, 175.951° 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
- 57
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 2 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 usp0000wkq. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 3:22 AM UTC.