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M5.0 Earthquake near 103 km W of Hihifo, Tonga

UTC time: 2026-09-20 05:07:04 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

103 km W of Hihifo, Tonga

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near 103 km W of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-09-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near 103 km W of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-09-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near 103 km W of Hihifo, Tonga on September 20, 2026 at 05:07 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
1cf1ada6470eab7cce35ec741f0f9735c07bbe1b
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-20 05:07:04 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-15.89260, -174.76410
Temperature
25.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
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 Tonga Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Niuafoʻou · about 1 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Mata-Utu334.5 kmNW1'200

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 82 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Niuafo'ou
    Distance: 98 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 100 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 109 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Dugong
    Distance: 115 km ·Shield ·Elevation: -1'170 m ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 121 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.2.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.210.0 km11.3 km
USGSM5.010.0 km0.0 km
EMSCM5.235.0 km11.5 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#25
Earlier events M≥498
Earlier events M≥542
Compared since2025-01-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.12026-04-19 17:34:49 UTC145.2 kmTonga Islands M6.02026-04-19 17:34:48 UTC59.7 km93 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga M6.02026-03-08 09:28:26 UTC102.5 kmTonga Islands M5.92026-03-08 09:28:26 UTC93.2 km15 km WSW of Hihifo, Tonga M5.92025-11-28 03:29:38 UTC125.2 kmSamoa Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
629
Country (24h)
—
—
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