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M5.3 Earthquake near TONGA REGION

UTC time: 2026-07-08 12:18:58 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
35.0 km
Source
EMSC

TONGA REGION

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near TONGA REGION · 2026-07-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near TONGA REGION · 2026-07-08 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On July 8, 2026 at 12:18 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near TONGA REGION. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 35 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
5071367cf3d1db26da3142e46ba40ac002d892cb
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-07-08 12:18:58 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-23.04780, -174.11180
Temperature
21.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 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.

Tectonic context

Located on the Pacific Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Pacific · about 42 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa240.3 kmNW22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours2
First 72 hours2
Strongest subsequent eventM5.4
M5.42026-07-08 12:19:00 UTC104.4 km245 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga M5.12026-07-08 12:19:08 UTC84.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near North Shore (Monde) M5.02026-07-12 11:09:45 UTC96.2 km139 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga M5.42026-08-02 10:34:13 UTC96.5 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near North Shore (Monde)

Comparison of seismic sources

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

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.310.0 km40.1 km
EMSCM5.335.0 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#2
Earlier events M≥445
Earlier events M≥525
Compared since2025-02-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.42025-07-03 08:40:10 UTC106.1 kmTONGA REGION M5.32025-07-03 08:40:09 UTC89.7 kmTonga Islands Region M5.22026-06-29 18:47:15 UTC114.9 kmTonga Islands Region M5.22026-01-26 13:02:18 UTC142.9 kmTonga Islands M5.22026-01-26 10:52:59 UTC142.8 km66 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
496
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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