Every countryTonga

Tonga earthquakes in 1971

21 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were located in Tonga in 1971. The largest: M6.3 225 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, Mar 23, 1971.

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

19701972

Map

Where every quake of 1971 was located in Tonga. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1971

Magnitude 4.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

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

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19710
February 197115.625 km WSW of Haveluloto, Tonga
March 197146.3225 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
April 197135.7south of Tonga
May 19710
June 19710
July 197135.7163 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
August 197135.672 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga
September 197136.072 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga
October 197115.782 km N of Hihifo, Tonga
November 197115.8154 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga
December 197125.9143 km W of Pangai, 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 1971

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.