Tonga earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 279 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 279 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga on Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 4:53 PM GMT+13 (03:53 UTC), 524 km (325 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 287 km W of Haveluloto, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

Nuku‘alofa 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: 4.5 (mb), light
Local time: Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 4:53 PM GMT+13
UTC: 2020-03-18 03:53:53 UTC
Depth: 523.8 km (325.5 mi), deep
Epicenter: 20.438° S, 177.793° 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 12.4 km horizontally, 6.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.04
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 46°
Stations used: 75

Nearest places

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

Nuku‘alofa, TongaPopulation 22,400. Forecast280 kmWNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 28 in the 60 days after this one and 17 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 us60008hlt. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 3:25 AM UTC.