Back to map

M5.5 Earthquake near 123 km W of Neiafu, Tonga

UTC time: 2026-10-12 04:38:10 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
164.8 km
Source
USGS

123 km W of Neiafu, Tonga

Map

M5.5 Earthquake near 123 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2026-10-12 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.5 Earthquake near 123 km W of Neiafu, Tonga · 2026-10-12 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 12, 2026 at 04:38 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near 123 km W of Neiafu, Tonga. At around 165 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
50ef6ee90696c5bfd691868ae4967913594f6fe7
Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
164.8 km
UTC time
2026-10-12 04:38:10 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-18.52800, -175.14420
Temperature
23.8°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 164.8 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 164.8 km
Intermediate
164.8 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Estimated impact

Green No or minimal impact expected.
1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 2

Ground shaking

III
Weak · Intensity (MMI) III
Felt by a few, no damage.

Tectonic context

Located on the Niuafoʻou Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Niuafoʻou · about 22 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa244.4 kmS22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Late
    Distance: 61 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 540 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Tonga
  • Home Reef
    Distance: 65 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Lateiki
    Distance: 78 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Fonualei
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Kao
    Distance: 127 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

5 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.8.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.5115.0 km60.8 km
USGSM5.5164.8 km0.0 km
INGVM5.8183.6 km39.4 km
GFZM5.8198.0 km29.5 km
RESIFM5.3215.3 km21.3 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#6
Earlier events M≥491
Earlier events M≥530
Compared since2025-01-02

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.52026-03-24 04:37:50 UTC86.3 km166 km W of Neiafu, Tonga M6.42025-05-14 04:15:39 UTC62.0 kmTonga Islands M6.42025-05-14 04:15:38 UTC57.5 km137 km W of Neiafu, Tonga M6.42025-05-14 04:15:37 UTC62.2 kmTONGA M5.72025-06-28 04:17:07 UTC141.5 kmTonga Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
613
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

Share