Tonga earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 122 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 122 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Sat, Dec 15, 2018, 8:15 PM GMT+13 (07:15 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 108 km ENE of Pangai, 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
4.5 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
2018-12-15 07:15:36 UTC
Depth
10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
19.122° S, 172.936° 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 9.7 km horizontally, 1.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.19
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
78°
Stations used
20

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us2000itsv. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 3:22 AM UTC.