Tonga earthquakes

M3.8 earthquake 283 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck 283 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga on Thu, Dec 25, 2008, 9:52 AM GMT+13 (20:52 UTC), 568 km (353 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 220 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

Nuku‘alofa forecastMore in Tonga

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.8 (mb, body-wave), minor
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
2008-12-24 20:52:00 UTC
Depth
568.0 km (352.9 mi), deep
Epicenter
20.264° S, 177.762° W
Region
Tonga
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

no people dead or missing; no people injured; no buildings damaged or destroyed

From the USGS event page for usp000grd9. 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
FROM_LOCATION
Station coverage gap
187°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
13

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 13 in the 60 days after this one and 16 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.5Fiji region · 6490 days ago · 436 km deep · 88 km away
  2. 4.5285 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6488 days ago · 534 km deep · 19 km away
  3. 4.1Fiji region · 6488 days ago · 532 km deep · 37 km away
  4. 3.8261 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6487 days ago · 562 km deep · 25 km away
  5. 4.2293 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6486 days ago · 595 km deep · 40 km away
  6. 3.7Fiji region · 6484 days ago · 607 km deep · 70 km away
  7. 4.3Fiji region · 6473 days ago · 558 km deep · 68 km away
  8. 4.7275 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6462 days ago · 521 km deep · 37 km away
  9. 4.2295 km W of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6460 days ago · 488 km deep · 93 km away
  10. 5.4Fiji region · 6446 days ago · 544 km deep · 56 km away
  11. 5.5220 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6442 days ago · 10 km deep · 75 km away
  12. 4.5278 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6442 days ago · 502 km deep · 36 km away
  13. 4.6283 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6434 days ago · 514 km deep · 29 km away

Before

  1. 4.7285 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6494 days ago · 551 km deep · 2 km away
  2. 4.2286 km W of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6494 days ago · 532 km deep · 50 km away
  3. 4.1253 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6495 days ago · 500 km deep · 30 km away
  4. 4.2Fiji region · 6498 days ago · 555 km deep · 63 km away
  5. 3.8Fiji region · 6499 days ago · 517 km deep · 59 km away
  6. 3.8265 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6502 days ago · 384 km deep · 65 km away
  7. 4.2Fiji region · 6503 days ago · 490 km deep · 34 km away
  8. 3.3264 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6503 days ago · 535 km deep · 26 km away
  9. 5.4Fiji region · 6506 days ago · 606 km deep · 94 km away
  10. 3.7Fiji region · 6507 days ago · 567 km deep · 57 km away
  11. 4.7Fiji region · 6508 days ago · 581 km deep · 83 km away
  12. 4.5253 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6510 days ago · 572 km deep · 68 km away
  13. 4.4243 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6511 days ago · 517 km deep · 43 km away
  14. 4.5Fiji region · 6511 days ago · 610 km deep · 75 km away
  15. 4.4Fiji region · 6514 days ago · 569 km deep · 75 km away
  16. 4.2269 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 6515 days ago · 519 km deep · 25 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000grd9. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 4:06 PM UTC.