Tonga earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 114 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 114 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga on Sat, Aug 18, 1979, 5:32 AM GMT+13 (16:32 UTC), 99 km (62 mi) below the surface.

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.3 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1979-08-17 16:32:32 UTC
Depth
99.0 km (61.5 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
18.128° S, 174.919° 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
35

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 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 usp00012g3 (also filed as iscgem660516). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 12:59 AM UTC.