M4.6 earthquake 174 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 174 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga on Mon, Dec 15, 1986, 4:46 AM GMT+13 (15:46 UTC), 305 km (190 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M4.8 112 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
- 4.6 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1986-12-14 15:46:13 UTC
- Depth
- 305.1 km (189.6 mi), deep
- Epicenter
- 17.871° S, 175.419° 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
- FROM_LOCATION
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.6 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 usp00030vy. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:12 AM UTC.