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Tonga earthquakes in 1960

11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in Tonga in 1960. The largest: M6.1 46 km N of Hihifo, Tonga, Jun 10, 1960.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19591961

Map

Where every quake of 1960 was located in Tonga. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1960

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19600
February 196015.9135 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga
March 196035.979 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
April 19600
May 19600
June 196016.146 km N of Hihifo, Tonga
July 19600
August 196015.967 km S of Neiafu, Tonga
September 196035.9Tonga
October 196015.787 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
November 196016.0122 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga
December 19600

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

Tonga nowWorldwide in 1960

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.