M5.6 earthquake 109 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 109 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 5:19 AM GMT+13 (16:19 UTC), 39 km (24 mi) below the surface.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
5.6	Mww, W-phase moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.098 · 10 stations
5.8	mb, body-wave	NOAA National Tsunami Warning Center	First automatic solution · Reviewed · 68 stations
5.7	Mwb, body-wave moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Moment tensor · Reviewed

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak shaking.

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 8 in the 60 days after this one and 15 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000j71p (also filed as at00rmfeoc). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:28 AM UTC.