M5.0 earthquake 9 km NNE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 9 km NNE of Neiafu, Tonga on Fri, Aug 17, 1979, 3:15 PM GMT+13 (02:15 UTC), 57 km (35 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1979-08-17 02:15:09 UTC
- Depth
- 57.0 km (35.4 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.569° S, 173.955° 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
- 11
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00012fu. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 4:09 AM UTC.