Back to map

M5.3 Earthquake near 239 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga

UTC time: 2026-08-25 15:15:55 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis. How our reports are produced ↗

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

239 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 239 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-08-25 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 239 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-08-25 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On August 25, 2026 at 15:15 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near 239 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
29d9e4a6f27f333e99bf9d6be43c09d58069d6d5
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-08-25 15:15:55 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-17.29360, -172.03740
Temperature
23.7°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 Pacific Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Pacific · about 36 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Alofi297.2 kmSE624

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tafahi
    Distance: 243 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Fonualei
    Distance: 255 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 255 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 272 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 300 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • West Mata
    Distance: 305 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.4
M5.42026-08-25 15:15:59 UTC64.5 kmTONGA REGION

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.5.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.510.0 km43.4 km
RESIFM5.310.0 km41.6 km
USGSM5.310.0 km0.0 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#10
Earlier events M≥439
Earlier events M≥524
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.72026-05-26 19:12:31 UTC28.7 kmTonga Islands region M5.72025-08-14 04:38:17 UTC99.7 km208 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga M5.62026-05-26 19:12:33 UTC108.0 kmTonga Islands Region M5.62025-08-14 04:38:17 UTC138.6 kmTonga Islands Region M5.62025-08-14 04:38:14 UTC130.6 km156 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
512
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share