M5.5 earthquake 104 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 104 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga on Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 6:33 PM GMT+13 (05:33 UTC), 10 km (6 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
5.5	Mww, W-phase moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.098 · 10 stations
5.4	Mi	NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center	Reviewed · 3 stations

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

2 people 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 2.5 and up: 21 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000libd (also filed as pt23346001). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 10:28 PM UTC.