Tonga earthquakes

M4.2 earthquake 274 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 274 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga on Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 3:04 PM GMT+13 (02:04 UTC), 498 km (309 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.0 236 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.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 4.2 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Thu, Dec 31, 2020, 3:04 PM GMT+13
UTC: 2020-12-31 02:04:59 UTC
Depth: 497.9 km (309.4 mi), deep
Epicenter: 20.259° S, 177.671° 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 13.9 km horizontally, 6.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.11
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 123°
Stations used: 58

Nearest places

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

Nuku‘alofa, TongaPopulation 22,400. Forecast275 kmWNW

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 22 in the 60 days after this one and 18 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 us6000d4gg. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 3:29 AM UTC.