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M5.1 Depth: 256.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-05-02 11:30:48 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.1 earthquake was recorded near Tonga Islands on May 2, 2026 at 11:30 UTC. At around 256 km, the focal depth places this among intermediate-depth events. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
256.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-02 11:30:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-18.29000, -175.19000
Temperature
26.4°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 256 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 256 km
Intermediate
256 km
Why depth matters

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

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa316.6 kmS22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Late
    Distance: 81 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 540 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 87 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Home Reef
    Distance: 89 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Fonualei
    Distance: 97 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Lateiki
    Distance: 105 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Kao
    Distance: 154 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·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 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M4.92026-05-02 11:30:49 UTC19.9 km M5.02026-05-03 16:36:14 UTC68.2 km M4.32026-05-04 03:58:51 UTC62.0 km M4.92026-05-16 15:47:20 UTC28.0 kmTonga Islands M4.72026-05-16 15:47:21 UTC13.8 km M4.42026-05-17 00:13:49 UTC45.8 km M4.52026-05-17 13:16:28 UTC69.1 km M5.32026-05-26 19:25:11 UTC141.3 kmTonga Islands M5.32026-05-27 19:09:53 UTC147.2 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#10
Earlier events M≥469
Earlier events M≥515
Compared since2025-01-02

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.42025-05-14 04:15:39 UTC47.6 kmTonga Islands M6.42025-05-14 04:15:38 UTC48.8 km137 km W of Neiafu, Tonga M6.42025-05-14 04:15:37 UTC41.1 km M5.52026-04-13 02:15:01 UTC28.0 km M5.52026-04-13 02:14:59 UTC28.6 kmTonga Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
600
Country (24h)
—
—
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