Tonga earthquakes

M6.5 earthquake 168 km NW of Pangai, Tonga

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 168 km NW of Pangai, Tonga on Sun, May 15, 1983, 1:24 PM GMT+13 (00:24 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.5 (ms), strong
Local time
UTC
1983-05-15 00:24:00 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
18.907° S, 175.641° 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
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Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001vbx (also filed as gcmtc051583a, gcmt19830515002400, iscgem576296). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 11:51 PM UTC.