October 6, 1987 Earthquake: Tonga Islands

Name: October 6, 1987 Earthquake: Tonga Islands
Start: 1987-10-06
Location: Tonga Islands

October 6, 1987 · M7.3

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Tonga Islands on October 6, 1987 at 04:19:06 UTC, 16 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.

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: October 6, 1987
Time: 04:19:06 UTC
Place: Tonga Islands
Magnitude: 7.3 (Ms)
Focal depth: 16 km (10 mi)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 17.940° S, 172.225° 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 1987 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1987 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 6470.