M5.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near South of Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-07-27 03:36:44 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On July 27, 2026 at 03:36 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near South of Tonga Islands. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude

M5.1

Depth

10.0 km

UTC time

2026-07-27 03:36:44 UTC

Local time

—

Country

—

Source

gfz

Coordinates

-24.58000, -175.25000

Temperature

19.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Shallow

10 km

Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the Kermadec Plate.

Near the boundary Kermadec ↔ Pacific · about 4 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation

Nuku'alofa382.9 kmN22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Kermadec Arc at 24.8°S

Distance: 180 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -385 m ·Tonga
Monowai

Distance: 243 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -132 m ·Last eruption: 2014 ·New Zealand
Tofua Arc at 21.3°S

Distance: 363 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -68 m ·Last eruption: 1932 ·Tonga
Tofua Arc at 21.1°S

Distance: 385 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·Tonga
Tofua Arc at 20.9°S

Distance: 416 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -296 m ·Last eruption: 2017 ·Tonga
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai

Distance: 448 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 114 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours2

First 24 hours3

First 72 hours6

Strongest subsequent eventM5.4

M4.82026-07-27 05:55:11 UTC15.2 kmsouth of Tonga M5.12026-07-27 08:44:07 UTC45.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near North Shore (Monde) M5.12026-07-27 23:12:12 UTC22.1 kmSOUTH OF TONGA M5.02026-07-29 03:52:22 UTC33.5 kmsouth of Tonga M5.02026-07-29 17:07:35 UTC13.5 kmsouth of Tonga M5.12026-07-29 20:52:10 UTC5.8 kmsouth of Tonga M5.32026-08-01 15:51:04 UTC139.6 kmSouth of Fiji Islands M5.12026-08-01 15:51:19 UTC143.8 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near Auckland (Monde) M5.42026-08-02 10:34:13 UTC109.8 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near North Shore (Monde) M5.02026-08-02 15:35:30 UTC53.0 kmSOUTH OF TONGA

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#25

Earlier events M≥461

Earlier events M≥541

Compared since2025-01-12

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.02025-08-23 00:11:01 UTC27.6 kmSouth of Tonga Islands [Sea: Tonga] M6.02025-02-07 10:26:59 UTC116.7 kmsouth of the Fiji Islands M5.72025-08-18 23:03:12 UTC24.2 kmSouth of Tonga Islands [Sea: Tonga] M5.72025-08-16 22:52:05 UTC55.2 kmSouth of Tonga Islands M5.62025-08-18 23:03:12 UTC78.4 kmSOUTH OF TONGA

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)

635

Country (24h)

—

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