M5.5 earthquake 159 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 159 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga on Mon, Nov 20, 2023, 12:15 PM GMT+13 (23:15 UTC), 240 km (149 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.8 155 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Mww, W-phase moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2023-11-19 23:15:47 UTC
- Depth
- 239.5 km (148.8 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 17.744° S, 175.151° W
- Region
- Tonga
- Strongest shaking
- III, weak shaking
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
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
- 0.3% 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% |
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 8.8 km horizontally, 5.0 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.10
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 50°
- Stations used
- 128
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.8155 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1026 days ago · 265 km deep · 37 km away · felt by 2
- 4.1173 km SW of Hihifo, Tonga · 1021 days ago · 261 km deep · 82 km away
- 4.2148 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 1019 days ago · 219 km deep · 19 km away
- 4.2154 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 1013 days ago · 235 km deep · 78 km away
- 4.3191 km SW of Hihifo, Tonga · 1012 days ago · 259 km deep · 69 km away
- 4.3155 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 991 days ago · 230 km deep · 78 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us6000lpii. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 8:27 AM UTC.