Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 190 km SW of Vaini, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 190 km SW of Vaini, Tonga on Wed, Dec 24, 1980, 1:49 AM GMT+13 (12:49 UTC), 85 km (53 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
5.2 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
1980-12-23 12:49:03 UTC
Depth
85.0 km (52.8 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
22.338° S, 176.550° 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
25

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bdx. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC.