M5.1 earthquake 82 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 82 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Sat, Mar 10, 1979, 10:01 PM GMT+13 (09:01 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
- 1979-03-10 09:01:47 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.988° S, 173.284° 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
- 62
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 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 usp0000z8m. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:50 PM UTC.