January 10, 1956 Earthquake: Tonga Islands

Name: January 10, 1956 Earthquake: Tonga Islands
Start: 1956-01-10
Location: Tonga Islands

January 10, 1956 · M7

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tonga Islands on January 10, 1956 at 08:52:43 UTC, 35 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 10, 1956
Time: 08:52:43 UTC
Place: Tonga Islands
Magnitude: 7 (Mw)
Focal depth: 35 km (22 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 26.000° S, 175.241° W
Country: Tonga

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1956 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1956 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 4087.