M5.7 earthquake 147 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 147 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga on Wed, May 26, 2021, 10:36 AM GMT+13 (21:36 UTC), 201 km (125 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.7 (mww), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 2021-05-25 21:36:44 UTC
- Depth
- 201.2 km (125.0 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 17.576° S, 174.808° 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
- -1.7 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
- 5.7 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 242°, dip 17°, rake -60°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 31°, dip 76°, rake -98°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 10.9 km horizontally, 3.7 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.05
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 67°
- Stations used
- 116
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 4 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.8141 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1951 days ago · 105 km deep · 43 km away
- 4.4137 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1912 days ago · 188 km deep · 76 km away
- 4.1119 km NNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1905 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
- 4.5187 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1896 days ago · 261 km deep · 40 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000e68h (also filed as usauto7000e68h, pt21145000, iscgem620441028). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 12:57 AM UTC.