Tonga earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 220 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 220 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on Fri, Dec 28, 2018, 6:41 AM GMT+13 (17:41 UTC), 46 km (28 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 Tonga region. 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
4.8 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
2018-12-27 17:41:23 UTC
Depth
45.9 km (28.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
23.135° S, 175.870° 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 11.0 km horizontally, 5.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
111°
Stations used
35

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 4 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 us2000j452. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 6:26 PM UTC.