M5.5 earthquake 146 km W of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 146 km W of Neiafu, Tonga on Tue, Nov 12, 2019, 12:00 PM GMT+13 (23:00 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M6.2 147 km W of Neiafu, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (mww), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 2019-11-11 23:00:21 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.687° S, 175.370° 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
- 1.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.4 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
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
| Range | Chance |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 65% |
| 1 to 10 | 30% |
| 10 to 100 | 4% |
| 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 | 65% |
| 1 to 10 | 30% |
| 10 to 100 | 4% |
| 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
- Strike-slip
- Moment magnitude
- 5.5 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 211°, dip 77°, rake -2°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 301°, dip 88°, rake -167°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 8.0 km horizontally, 1.7 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.10
- Depth from
- Operator assigned
- Station coverage gap
- 30°
- Stations used
- 514
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 6.2147 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2515 days ago · 10 km deep · 20 km away · felt by 6
- 4.3118 km NW of Pangai, Tonga · 2497 days ago · 238 km deep · 53 km away
- 4.3174 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2487 days ago · 214 km deep · 30 km away
- 4.4133 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga · 2478 days ago · 120 km deep · 57 km away
- 4.6120 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 2477 days ago · 139 km deep · 79 km away
Before
- 4.5113 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga · 2515 days ago · 10 km deep · 95 km away
- 4.9137 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2522 days ago · 10 km deep · 18 km away
- 5.5181 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2522 days ago · 10 km deep · 36 km away
- 6.6136 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2522 days ago · 10 km deep · 16 km away · felt by 8 · tsunami flag
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us60006adr. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:37 PM UTC.