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M6.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.1 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-22 15:27:57 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M6.1 earthquake was recorded near Tonga Islands on March 22, 2026 at 15:27 UTC. 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 are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M6.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-22 15:27:57 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-15.37000, -173.12000
Temperature
27.4°C

Map

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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Apia224.5 kmNE40'407

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Curacoa
    Distance: 65 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • West Mata
    Distance: 74 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 86 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 95 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 119 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Savaii
    Distance: 206 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'858 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·Samoa

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours6
First 24 hours11
First 72 hours13
Strongest subsequent eventM6.3
M5.32026-03-22 15:27:58 UTC62.0 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Nouméa (Monde) M6.32026-03-22 15:28:08 UTC18.6 kmTonga [Sea] M6.32026-03-22 15:30:40 UTC11.4 kmTonga Islands M5.12026-03-22 15:31:04 UTC68.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.62026-03-22 16:00:18 UTC45.8 km M4.82026-03-22 16:23:15 UTC63.7 km131 km SSW of Gataivai, Samoa M5.92026-03-22 22:26:14 UTC38.3 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.4) from San Miguel Is., CA M5.82026-03-23 06:02:45 UTC18.8 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.6) from San Miguel Is., CA M5.22026-03-23 06:02:48 UTC47.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.12026-03-23 08:44:29 UTC47.6 kmSamoa Islands region M5.12026-03-23 11:58:52 UTC4.9 kmTonga Islands M5.72026-03-25 10:11:00 UTC152.2 kmTonga Islands

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#4
Earlier events M≥4131
Earlier events M≥561
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.32026-03-22 06:15:47 UTC23.2 kmTonga [Sea] M6.22026-03-22 15:27:56 UTC69.2 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.4) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.22026-03-22 06:15:36 UTC8.0 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.7) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.02026-03-08 09:28:26 UTC113.4 kmTonga Islands M5.72026-02-10 21:14:44 UTC69.0 kmSamoa Islands Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
587
Country (24h)
—
—
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