M4.5 earthquake 64 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 64 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga on Sun, Jan 25, 1981, 2:56 PM GMT+13 (01:56 UTC), 89 km (55 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.1 122 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-01-25 01:56:48 UTC
- Depth
- 89.0 km (55.3 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 18.532° S, 174.578° 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
- 7
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bw1. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 9:32 AM UTC.