M5.9 earthquake 189 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 189 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga on Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 1:22 PM GMT+13 (00:22 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (mww), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 2020-10-21 00:22:34 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 19.332° S, 172.333° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Strongest shaking
- III, weak 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
- III, weak shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 0.4% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- -0.5 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
- Normal
- Moment magnitude
- 5.9 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 8°, dip 31°, rake -96°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 195°, dip 59°, rake -86°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 7.2 km horizontally, 1.7 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.08
- Depth from
- Operator assigned
- Station coverage gap
- 26°
- Stations used
- 189
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.9 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.3188 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2169 days ago · 10 km deep · 22 km away
- 4.391 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2159 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
- 4.3183 km E of Pangai, Tonga · 2159 days ago · 10 km deep · 85 km away
- 5.4125 km E of Neiafu, Tonga · 2124 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
- 5.2111 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga · 2123 days ago · 10 km deep · 80 km away
- 4.6122 km E of Neiafu, Tonga · 2118 days ago · 10 km deep · 83 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000cafc (also filed as pt20295000, at00qiizpk, iscgem619500300). Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC.