Tonga earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 99 km E of Neiafu, Tonga

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 99 km E of Neiafu, Tonga on Sun, Aug 29, 2021, 9:50 PM GMT+13 (08:50 UTC), 10 km (6 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
2021-08-29 08:50:42 UTC
Depth
10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
18.662° S, 173.040° 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?

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 40°, dip 42°, rake 105°
Nodal plane 2
Strike 201°, dip 50°, rake 77°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 5.7 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.09
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
130°
Stations used
55

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 1 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 us7000f5ek (also filed as usauto7000f5ek, iscgem621009933). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC.