M4.6 earthquake 95 km N of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 95 km N of Hihifo, Tonga on Thu, Aug 20, 1981, 2:46 PM GMT-11 (01:46 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.8 105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.6 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-08-21 01:46:55 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.093° S, 173.850° 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
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.6 and up: 18 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.8105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
- 7.7133 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 25 km deep · 83 km away
- 5.6105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
- 5.2113 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away
- 4.8112 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 58 km away
- 5.1111 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 85 km away
- 4.6101 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 56 km away
- 5.788 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16459 days ago · 33 km deep · 64 km away
- 5.6104 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16458 days ago · 33 km deep · 74 km away
- 4.8127 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16458 days ago · 33 km deep · 90 km away
- 5.3116 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16458 days ago · 33 km deep · 27 km away
- 4.7116 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16457 days ago · 33 km deep · 100 km away
- 4.7154 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16456 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
- 4.9104 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16449 days ago · 33 km deep · 26 km away
- 4.8110 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16443 days ago · 33 km deep · 80 km away
- 4.737 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16437 days ago · 123 km deep · 79 km away
- 4.772 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16421 days ago · 33 km deep · 29 km away
- 5.4102 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16417 days ago · 33 km deep · 79 km away
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001fd7. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 8:02 AM UTC.