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M5.6 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-22 06:15:39 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On March 22, 2026 at 06:15 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near 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. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USP.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-22 06:15:39 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usp
Coordinates
-15.31618, -173.54738

Map

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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Apia252.8 kmNE40'407

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • West Mata
    Distance: 32 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 36 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 49 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 64 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 73 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Savaii
    Distance: 219 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'858 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·Samoa

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours12
First 72 hours14
Strongest subsequent eventM6.3
M6.32026-03-22 06:15:47 UTC69.3 kmTonga [Sea] M6.22026-03-22 15:27:56 UTC112.6 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.4) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.12026-03-22 15:27:57 UTC46.2 kmTonga Islands M5.32026-03-22 15:27:58 UTC107.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Nouméa (Monde) M6.32026-03-22 15:28:08 UTC64.0 kmTonga [Sea] M6.32026-03-22 15:30:40 UTC53.6 kmTonga Islands M5.12026-03-22 15:31:04 UTC23.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.62026-03-22 16:00:18 UTC66.8 km M4.82026-03-22 16:23:15 UTC94.8 km131 km SSW of Gataivai, Samoa M5.92026-03-22 22:26:14 UTC81.3 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.4) from San Miguel Is., CA M5.82026-03-23 06:02:45 UTC64.8 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.6) from San Miguel Is., CA M5.22026-03-23 06:02:48 UTC92.5 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Nouméa (Monde)

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#11
Earlier events M≥491
Earlier events M≥545
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.22026-03-22 06:15:36 UTC54.2 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.7) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.02026-03-08 09:28:26 UTC93.4 kmTonga Islands M5.92025-11-28 03:29:38 UTC127.2 kmSamoa Islands Region M5.72026-02-10 21:14:44 UTC38.2 kmSamoa Islands Region M5.72025-11-28 03:30:09 UTC133.3 kmTonga Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
586
Country (24h)
—
—
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