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Tonga earthquakes in 1963

18 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in Tonga in 1963. The largest: M6.3 80 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, Oct 31, 1963.

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

19621964

Map

Where every quake of 1963 was located in Tonga. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1963

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

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

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19630
February 19630
March 19630
April 19630
May 196325.8101 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
June 196346.0125 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga
July 19630
August 196336.0220 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga
September 19630
October 196366.380 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
November 196326.2119 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
December 196315.990 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga

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 1963

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.