Tonga earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 104 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 104 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga on Fri, Sep 20, 1985, 5:12 AM GMT-11 (16:12 UTC), 300 km (186 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 95 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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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
4.5 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1985-09-20 16:12:24 UTC
Depth
299.6 km (186.2 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
15.596° S, 174.703° 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.

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 4 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 usp0002jyc. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:40 AM UTC.