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Tonga earthquakes in 1970

18 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in Tonga in 1970. The largest: M6.3 82 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, Jul 18, 1970.

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

19691971

Map

Where every quake of 1970 was located in Tonga. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1970

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

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

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19700
February 197026.0158 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga
March 19700
April 197046.097 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga
May 197016.1108 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga
June 197015.997 km E of Hihifo, Tonga
July 197036.382 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
August 197036.0101 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
September 19700
October 197015.6212 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga
November 197016.2236 km W of Hihifo, Tonga
December 197025.6270 km W of Haveluloto, 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 1970

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.