M5.3 earthquake 91 km S of Pangai, Tonga
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 91 km S of Pangai, Tonga on Tue, Mar 26, 2024, 10:37 PM GMT+13 (09:37 UTC), 14 km (9 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mww, W-phase moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 2024-03-26 09:37:15 UTC
- Depth
- 14.5 km (9.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 20.627° S, 174.199° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | Mww, W-phase moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.065 · 23 stations |
| 5.3 | 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
- 0.6% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 0.6 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
- Oblique reverse
- Moment magnitude
- 5.3 Mww
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 199°, dip 30°, rake 57°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 56°, dip 66°, rake 107°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Location uncertainty
- About 12.3 km horizontally, 4.7 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.07
- Depth from
- From location
- Station coverage gap
- 135°
- Stations used
- 63
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 4.656 km SE of Pangai, Tonga · 910 days ago · 37 km deep · 66 km away
- 4.6120 km ESE of Pangai, Tonga · 902 days ago · 10 km deep · 91 km away
- 4.3115 km ESE of Pangai, Tonga · 890 days ago · 10 km deep · 89 km away
- 5.1103 km ESE of Pangai, Tonga · 887 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
- 4.986 km SE of Pangai, Tonga · 883 days ago · 10 km deep · 61 km away
- 4.897 km SE of Pangai, Tonga · 877 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayTonga earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us7000m826 (also filed as usauto7000m826). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 3:26 PM UTC.