Tonga earthquakes

M5.6 earthquake 90 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 90 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga on Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 8:32 PM GMT+13 (07:32 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.9 121 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

Apia 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: 5.6 (mww), moderate
Local time: Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 8:32 PM GMT+13
UTC: 2019-09-22 07:32:33 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 15.563° S, 173.060° W
Region: Tonga
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 1.5% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
Range	Chance
Under 1	76%
1 to 10	24%
10 to 100	Under 1%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
Range, million USD	Chance
Under 1	76%
1 to 10	24%
10 to 100	Under 1%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Moment magnitude: 5.6 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 360°, dip 40°, rake 88°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 182°, dip 50°, rake 92°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 8.7 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.06
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 60°
Stations used: 75

Nearest places

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

Apia, SamoaPopulation 40,407. Forecast237 kmSW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 15 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 us60005ly5 (also filed as iscgem616493641). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:14 AM UTC.