Tonga earthquakes

M4.2 earthquake 59 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 59 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Dec 23, 2008, 12:58 AM GMT-11 (11:58 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.7 96 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.2 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
2008-12-23 11:58:20 UTC
Depth
10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.432° S, 173.655° 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 usp000gr8m. 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
Station coverage gap
190°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
11

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.886 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6488 days ago · 35 km deep · 39 km away
  2. 3.867 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6486 days ago · 177 km deep · 19 km away
  3. 4.090 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6485 days ago · 35 km deep · 55 km away
  4. 4.671 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6479 days ago · 81 km deep · 98 km away
  5. 4.466 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 6473 days ago · 81 km deep · 19 km away
  6. 5.796 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga · 6456 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
  7. 4.891 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6439 days ago · 35 km deep · 33 km away

Before

  1. 4.190 km N of Hihifo, Tonga · 6498 days ago · 35 km deep · 32 km away
  2. 4.434 km SW of Hihifo, Tonga · 6498 days ago · 95 km deep · 92 km away
  3. 4.122 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6513 days ago · 35 km deep · 72 km away
  4. 4.678 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6519 days ago · 35 km deep · 62 km away
  5. 4.2108 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6519 days ago · 10 km deep · 73 km away
  6. 3.952 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 6520 days ago · 10 km deep · 79 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000gr8m. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 5:46 AM UTC.