Tonga earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on Sat, Aug 15, 2020, 12:50 AM GMT+13 (11:50 UTC), 38 km (24 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.6 79 km NNW of Hihifo, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.8 (mb, body-wave), light
Magnitude from
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time
UTC
2020-08-14 11:50:48 UTC
Depth
38.3 km (23.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
15.682° S, 173.701° W
Region
Tonga
Felt reports
1
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was II, weak shaking.

Did You Feel It? map: shaking reported by the public
Shaking reported by the public, by area. Map: USGS Did You Feel It?

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 10.8 km horizontally, 6.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.04
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
77°
Stations used
58

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 19 in the 60 days after this one and 11 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000bemn. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:55 AM UTC.