Tonga earthquakes

M4.3 earthquake 251 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck 251 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga on Thu, Aug 18, 2016, 12:44 PM GMT+13 (23:44 UTC), 343 km (213 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.8 Fiji region. This one was a foreshock.

Nuku‘alofa forecast More in Tonga

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 4.3 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Thu, Aug 18, 2016, 12:44 PM GMT+13
UTC: 2016-08-17 23:44:42 UTC
Depth: 342.9 km (213.0 mi), deep
Epicenter: 19.516° S, 176.884° 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.

Location uncertainty: About 6.3 km horizontally, 11.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.17
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 168°
Stations used: 15

Nearest places

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

Nuku‘alofa, TongaPopulation 22,400. Forecast252 kmNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 16 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Tonga earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us10006ftm. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 1:10 PM UTC.