Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 133 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 133 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga on Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 8:54 AM GMT+13 (19:54 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 127 km ESE of Neiafu, 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: 5.2 (mww), moderate
Local time: Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 8:54 AM GMT+13
UTC: 2020-03-11 19:54:08 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 19.334° S, 172.942° 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.

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: 5.2 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 169°, dip 29°, rake 67°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 15°, dip 64°, rake 102°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 8.3 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.07
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 95°
Stations used: 57

Nearest places

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

Nuku‘alofa, TongaPopulation 22,400. Forecast309 kmNE

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 24 in the 60 days after this one and 8 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 us60008dwq (also filed as iscgem617729103). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 1:30 AM UTC.