M5.7 earthquake 147 km NW of Houma, Tonga
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 147 km NW of Houma, Tonga on Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 2:01 AM GMT+13 (13:01 UTC), 293 km (182 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, W-phase moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2023-03-24 13:01:34 UTC
- Depth
- 293.5 km (182.4 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 20.274° S, 176.344° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Strongest shaking
- III, weak shaking
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7 | Mww, W-phase moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.075 · 17 stations |
| 5.7 | Mww, W-phase moment | USGS, automatic first solution | First automatic solution · Confirmed |
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
- 0.2 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
- Strike-slip
- Moment magnitude
- 5.7 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 33°, dip 77°, rake 7°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 302°, dip 83°, rake 167°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 9.5 km horizontally, 4.7 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.07
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 50°
- Stations used
- 90
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 5 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.6169 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga · 1263 days ago · 208 km deep · 98 km away
- 4.5Fiji region · 1258 days ago · 250 km deep · 7 km away
- 4.5108 km NW of Houma, Tonga · 1235 days ago · 194 km deep · 39 km away
- 4.7Tonga · 1233 days ago · 149 km deep · 98 km away
- 4.5151 km NW of Houma, Tonga · 1228 days ago · 215 km deep · 20 km away
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000jme4 (also filed as usauto7000jme4). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:32 AM UTC.