Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 113 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 113 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on Mon, Aug 31, 1981, 11:59 PM GMT-11 (10:59 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.7 88 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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
1981-09-01 10:59:03 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.019° S, 173.360° 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 2.2 and up: 17 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.8112 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 7 km away
  2. 5.1111 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 39 km away
  3. 4.6101 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  4. 5.788 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  5. 5.6104 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 30 km away
  6. 4.9115 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 69 km away
  7. 4.8127 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16462 days ago · 33 km deep · 38 km away
  8. 5.5102 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16462 days ago · 33 km deep · 65 km away
  9. 5.3116 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16462 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
  10. 4.7116 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16462 days ago · 33 km deep · 54 km away
  11. 4.7154 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16460 days ago · 33 km deep · 62 km away
  12. 4.9104 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16453 days ago · 33 km deep · 28 km away
  13. 4.8110 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16447 days ago · 33 km deep · 33 km away
  14. 4.737 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16441 days ago · 123 km deep · 82 km away
  15. 4.772 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16426 days ago · 33 km deep · 48 km away
  16. 5.4102 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16421 days ago · 33 km deep · 38 km away
  17. 4.9126 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16414 days ago · 48 km deep · 74 km away

Before

  1. 5.6105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 18 km away
  2. 7.7133 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 25 km deep · 30 km away
  3. 5.8105 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 16463 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  4. 4.695 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 16475 days ago · 33 km deep · 53 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001fm1. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 1:53 PM UTC.