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M5.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-03-23 11:58:52 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On March 23, 2026 at 11:58 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near Tonga Islands. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-03-23 11:58:52 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-15.41000, -173.10000
Temperature
28.2°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
Apia226.5 kmNE40'407

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Curacoa
    Distance: 65 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • West Mata
    Distance: 78 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 85 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 97 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 121 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Savaii
    Distance: 209 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 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM6.3
M5.22026-03-25 10:17:30 UTC148.0 kmTonga Islands M5.42026-03-27 23:35:09 UTC90.8 km M4.82026-03-28 10:16:55 UTC20.4 km M5.02026-03-29 23:45:10 UTC129.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near of Nouméa (Monde) M5.42026-03-29 23:45:14 UTC136.8 kmTonga Islands M5.12026-03-29 23:45:14 UTC127.0 km M4.82026-04-18 09:32:01 UTC14.1 km M5.02026-04-18 09:32:02 UTC24.2 kmTonga Islands M5.42026-04-19 17:34:45 UTC34.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near Nouméa (Monde) M6.12026-04-19 17:34:47 UTC63.8 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 235.3) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.32026-04-19 17:34:47 UTC38.9 kmTonga Islands [Sea: Tonga] M6.12026-04-19 17:34:48 UTC29.7 km114 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#39
Earlier events M≥490
Earlier events M≥550
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 15:30:40 UTC6.4 kmTonga Islands M6.32026-03-22 15:28:08 UTC15.0 kmTonga [Sea] M6.32026-03-22 06:15:47 UTC20.4 kmTonga [Sea] M6.22026-03-22 15:27:56 UTC68.8 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.4) from San Miguel Is., CA M6.22026-03-22 06:15:36 UTC6.5 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) SW (az= 234.7) from San Miguel Is., CA

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
592
Country (24h)
—
—
Current earthquakes in
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No recent events available.

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