M5.7 earthquake 104 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 104 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga on Sun, May 21, 2023, 6:23 PM GMT+13 (05:23 UTC), 16 km (10 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
- 2023-05-21 05:23:11 UTC
- Depth
- 16.0 km (9.9 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 19.376° S, 173.348° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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 · ±0.065 · 23 stations |
| 6.0 | Mi | NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center | First automatic solution · Reviewed · 7 stations |
| 5.8 | 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
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 0.8% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 0.7 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
- Reverse (thrust)
- Moment magnitude
- 5.7 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 6°, dip 45°, rake 86°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 192°, dip 45°, rake 94°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 8.1 km horizontally, 1.9 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.07
- Depth from
- From modeling of broad-band P waveforms
- Station coverage gap
- 76°
- Stations used
- 49
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.7 and up: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.2104 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga · 1233 days ago · 10 km deep · 0 km away
- 4.6135 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga · 1214 days ago · 10 km deep · 36 km away
- 4.310 km E of Neiafu, Tonga · 1210 days ago · 35 km deep · 99 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000kdk8 (also filed as usauto6000kdk8, pt23141000). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 11:08 PM UTC.