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M5.4 Earthquake near 99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga

UTC time: 2026-09-29 12:40:35 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga

Map

M5.4 Earthquake near 99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga · 2026-09-29 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.4 Earthquake near 99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga · 2026-09-29 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On September 29, 2026 at 12:40 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near 99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga. 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 USGS.

Details

ID
3dfa9bd9764639787fa5a33be0588196f8d066ac
Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-29 12:40:35 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-20.67730, -174.08130
Temperature
21.8°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

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
Estimated population exposed
IV 1'509
1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 1

Ground shaking

IV
Light · Intensity (MMI) IV
Felt by many, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Tonga Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Pacific · about 60 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa127.0 kmSW22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
    Distance: 136 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 114 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Tonga
  • Fonuafo'ou
    Distance: 145 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -17 m ·Last eruption: 1936 ·Tonga
  • Tofua
    Distance: 146 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 515 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Kao
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 20.9°S
    Distance: 154 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -296 m ·Last eruption: 2017 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 21.3°S
    Distance: 179 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -68 m ·Last eruption: 1932 ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.4 to M5.6.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.510.0 km32.2 km
EMSCM5.630.0 km42.1 km
USGSM5.410.0 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#13
Earlier events M≥474
Earlier events M≥535
Compared since2025-01-02

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.02025-03-30 12:18:50 UTC40.9 km61 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga M7.02025-03-30 12:18:49 UTC42.8 km73 km SE of Pangai, Tonga M7.02025-03-30 12:18:49 UTC80.5 kmHaʻapai M6.22025-03-30 15:04:54 UTC33.7 km72 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga M5.92025-03-30 15:33:49 UTC50.3 km53 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
610
Country (24h)
—
—
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