January 4, 1903 Earthquake: Tonga Islands
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck Tonga Islands on January 4, 1903 at 05:07:00 UTC, 400 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- January 4, 1903
- Time
- 05:07:00 UTC
- Place
- Tonga Islands
- Magnitude
- 8 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 400 km (249 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 20.000° S, 175.000° W
- Country
- Tonga
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
January 4, 1903, 05:07:00 UTC, 20 S, 175 W, depth 400 km, magnitude 8.0 MS. (reference #88)
January 4, 1903, 05:07 UTC, 20 S, 175 W, depth 400 km, magnitude 8 MS. (reference #1006)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 18, 1928, Lifuka Island, Tonga Islands
- May 3, 2006, Tonga Islands
- February 9, 1902, Tonga Islands
- June 26, 1913, Tonga Islands
- December 14, 1950, Tonga Islands
- August 6, 1949, Tonga Islands
- March 30, 2025, Tonga Trench
- December 24, 1853, Tonga Trench
- 1907, S of Tonga, Tonga Islands
- September 8, 1948, Tonga Islands
- March 24, 2026, Tonga Islands
- November 18, 1865, Tonga Islands
More
Significant earthquakes of 1903The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1903Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 2641.