Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 79 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 79 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga on Mon, Sep 13, 2021, 12:57 AM GMT+13 (11:57 UTC), 187 km (117 mi) below the surface.

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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
5.2 (mww), moderate
Local time
UTC
2021-09-12 11:57:37 UTC
Depth
187.5 km (116.5 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
15.426° S, 174.300° 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
Normal
Moment magnitude
5.2 Mww
Nodal plane 1
Strike 226°, dip 45°, rake -72°
Nodal plane 2
Strike 22°, dip 48°, rake -107°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 9.8 km horizontally, 6.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
56°
Stations used
101

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000faix (also filed as iscgem621070681). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 1:48 PM UTC.