M5.0 earthquake 130 km SE of Pangai, Tonga
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 130 km SE of Pangai, Tonga on Fri, Oct 12, 1979, 6:03 PM GMT+13 (05:03 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
- 5.0 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1979-10-12 05:03:57 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.747° S, 173.591° 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
- 19
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.6119 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga · 17146 days ago · 33 km deep · 79 km away
- 4.490 km E of Pangai, Tonga · 17143 days ago · 33 km deep · 90 km away
- 4.4118 km ESE of Pangai, Tonga · 17120 days ago · 33 km deep · 43 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00013cd. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 12:39 PM UTC.