M5.3 earthquake 191 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 191 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga on Wed, Mar 20, 2019, 8:03 AM GMT-11 (19:03 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mww, W-phase moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2019-03-20 19:03:01 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.695° S, 172.476° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Felt reports
- 1
- Strongest shaking
- I, not felt shaking
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | Mww, W-phase moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.089 · 12 stations |
| 5.38 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.
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
| 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% |
| 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
- 5.3 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 34°, dip 40°, rake 105°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 194°, dip 52°, rake 78°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 3.8 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.09
- Depth from
- Operator assigned
- Station coverage gap
- 62°
- Stations used
- 64
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.8211 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2754 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
- 4.7200 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2748 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
- 4.4112 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2747 days ago · 10 km deep · 81 km away
- 4.8168 km E of Neiafu, Tonga · 2733 days ago · 10 km deep · 86 km away
- 4.6128 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2712 days ago · 35 km deep · 84 km away
- 4.9215 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2709 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
- 4.5211 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2707 days ago · 10 km deep · 50 km away
- 4.5173 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2707 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
- 4.7134 km NNE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2705 days ago · 90 km deep · 85 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us1000jjfp (also filed as iscgem615263965). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 2:54 PM UTC.