Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 151 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 151 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga on Fri, May 21, 1982, 10:40 AM GMT+13 (21:40 UTC), 231 km (144 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.3 123 km NNW of Neiafu, 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
1982-05-20 21:40:30 UTC
Depth
231.0 km (143.5 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
17.681° S, 175.000° 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
CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 6.3123 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16174 days ago · 123 km deep · 63 km away
  2. 5.5116 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16174 days ago · 119 km deep · 62 km away
  3. 4.9119 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16174 days ago · 121 km deep · 67 km away
  4. 4.3155 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16174 days ago · 123 km deep · 68 km away
  5. 4.4107 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16173 days ago · 461 km deep · 51 km away
  6. 4.9127 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16170 days ago · 120 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 4.9158 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16167 days ago · 124 km deep · 71 km away

Before

  1. 5.0208 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16198 days ago · 221 km deep · 61 km away
  2. 4.8182 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga · 16205 days ago · 184 km deep · 42 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001meh. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:30 AM UTC.