M5.5 earthquake 229 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 229 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga on Tue, Jan 27, 1981, 11:03 AM GMT-11 (22:03 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-01-27 22:03:32 UTC
- Depth
- 15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.437° S, 172.230° 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.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem633220. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 12:56 PM UTC.