M5.6 earthquake 58 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 58 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on Wed, Dec 31, 1980, 1:58 AM GMT-11 (12:58 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

Map

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

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
5.6	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed
5.76	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.37

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bhx (also filed as iscgem634761). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC.