M5.4 earthquake 165 km WNW of Houma, Tonga
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 165 km WNW of Houma, Tonga on Thu, Feb 22, 2024, 3:07 AM GMT+13 (14:07 UTC), 291 km (181 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.4 (Mww, W-phase moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2024-02-21 14:07:35 UTC
- Depth
- 290.6 km (180.5 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 20.881° S, 176.869° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4 | Mww, W-phase moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.078 · 16 stations |
| 5.4 | 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
- 0.3% 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% |
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
- 5.4 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 319°, dip 13°, rake -158°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 208°, dip 85°, rake -78°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 10.5 km horizontally, 5.1 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.08
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 37°
- Stations used
- 183
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.4 and up: 9 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.0260 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 951 days ago · 459 km deep · 96 km away
- 3.9255 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 943 days ago · 446 km deep · 92 km away
- 4.8233 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 941 days ago · 338 km deep · 88 km away
- 4.297 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 916 days ago · 186 km deep · 69 km away
- 4.5215 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 911 days ago · 339 km deep · 80 km away
- 4.4103 km WSW of Houma, Tonga · 910 days ago · 157 km deep · 81 km away
- 4.4248 km WNW of Houma, Tonga · 910 days ago · 495 km deep · 85 km away
- 4.6106 km NW of Houma, Tonga · 909 days ago · 239 km deep · 96 km away
- 4.290 km W of Houma, Tonga · 898 days ago · 199 km deep · 76 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000m0jz (also filed as usauto7000m0jz). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 3:10 PM UTC.