M5.0 earthquake 137 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 137 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga on Mon, Jan 18, 1988, 4:31 AM GMT+13 (15:31 UTC), 243 km (151 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0 (mb, body-wave), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1988-01-17 15:31:18 UTC
- Depth
- 243.1 km (151.1 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.550° S, 175.636° 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 2.0 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0003c4p. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 12:14 PM UTC.