M5.3 earthquake 121 km NNW of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 121 km NNW of Hihifo, Tonga on Thu, Dec 8, 1983, 1:50 AM GMT-11 (12:50 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.4 68 km WNW 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
- 5.3 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1983-12-08 12:50:51 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.030° S, 174.407° 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 2.3 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00020bw. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:11 PM UTC.