M5.2 earthquake 166 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 166 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga on Wed, Nov 18, 1987, 10:19 AM GMT-12 (22:19 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.5 150 km NE 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
- 5.2 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-11-18 22:19:55 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.584° S, 172.880° 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
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.5150 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 14184 days ago · 29 km deep · 21 km away
- 5.4163 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 14160 days ago · 26 km deep · 89 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0003a8j. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 10:46 PM UTC.