M5.7 earthquake 115 km E of Hihifo, Tonga
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 115 km E of Hihifo, Tonga on Sat, Mar 7, 1987, 8:43 AM GMT-11 (19:43 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (Mw, moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-03-07 19:43:06 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 15.988° S, 172.716° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.66 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.7 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 13S, 32C Centroid Location: Origin Time 19:43: 8.3 0.3 Lat 15.93S 0.04 Lon 172.27W 0.04 Dep 22.0 BDY Half-duration 2.7 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=-2.90 0.08 Mtt=0.86 0.09 Mff=2.05 0.10 Mrt=-0.16 0.17 Mrf=-1.74 0.19 Mtf=-2.22 0.09 Principal Axes: (T) Val=4.00 Plg=11 Azm=55 (N) Val=-0.37 Plg=22 Azm=150 (P) Val=-3.63 Plg=65 Azm=300 Best Double Couple:Mo=3.8*10**17 NP1:Strike=120 Dip=39 Slip=-126 NP2:Strike=343 Dip=59 Slip=-65
From the USGS event page for usp000332y. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
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 2.7 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.2124 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14452 days ago · 33 km deep · 27 km away
- 4.867 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14451 days ago · 33 km deep · 73 km away
- 5.1126 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14448 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
- 5.4132 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14444 days ago · 33 km deep · 40 km away
- 4.9119 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14442 days ago · 33 km deep · 63 km away
- 4.7150 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14430 days ago · 33 km deep · 77 km away
- 5.3145 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14425 days ago · 34 km deep · 87 km away
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000332y (also filed as gcmtb030787c, gcmt19870307194311, iscgem471491). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 2:52 AM UTC.