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M5.1 Earthquake near TONGA

UTC time: 2026-01-20 05:39:04 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.

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
102.9 km
Source
EMSC

TONGA

Map

M5.1 Earthquake near TONGA · 2026-01-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.1 Earthquake near TONGA · 2026-01-20 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On January 20, 2026 at 05:39 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near TONGA. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 103 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
72819bc4d3f97a3ca51b06378c58c6d01a31ebb7
Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
102.9 km
UTC time
2026-01-20 05:39:04 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-15.03340, -173.21530
Temperature
27.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 102.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 102.9 km
Intermediate
102.9 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
Apia205.3 kmNE40'407

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • West Mata
    Distance: 58 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 81 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 92 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 108 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 115 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Savaii
    Distance: 175 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'858 m ·Last eruption: 1911 ·Samoa

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 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.7
M4.92026-01-20 08:18:22 UTC87.4 kmTonga Islands M4.92026-01-27 05:08:06 UTC145.4 kmTonga Islands M5.32026-02-03 19:34:09 UTC49.7 kmTonga Islands M5.22026-02-09 18:52:58 UTC146.2 kmTonga Islands M5.62026-02-10 21:14:42 UTC30.4 kmSAMOA ISLANDS REGION M5.72026-02-10 21:14:44 UTC43.9 kmSamoa Islands Region M5.02026-02-10 21:14:45 UTC28.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.12026-02-13 00:41:25 UTC40.7 kmTonga Islands M5.32026-02-15 20:54:37 UTC29.5 kmSAMOA ISLANDS REGION M5.22026-02-15 20:54:47 UTC63.8 kmTonga Islands

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#15
Earlier events M≥450
Earlier events M≥520
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.62025-08-18 07:48:49 UTC58.2 km122 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga M5.62025-04-04 08:01:06 UTC148.9 km84 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga M5.52025-08-18 07:48:45 UTC33.2 kmTONGA M5.52025-08-18 07:48:44 UTC51.4 kmTonga Islands M5.52025-08-18 07:48:43 UTC31.3 km88 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
722
Country (24h)
—
—
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