M6.1 Depth: 50.0 km

M6.1 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-04-19 17:34:49 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On April 19, 2026 at 17:34 UTC, a magnitude M6.1 earthquake occurred near Tonga Islands. With a focal depth of about 50 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 data is provided by GFZ and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

Magnitude
M6.1
Depth
50.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-19 17:34:49 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-15.21000, -173.72000

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 50 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 50 km
Shallow
50 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
Apia260.1 kmNE40'407

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • West Mata
    Distance: 13 km ·Fissure vent(s) ·Elevation: -1'174 m ·Last eruption: 2009 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 35 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 46 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • Tafu-Maka
    Distance: 58 km ·Fissure vent ·Elevation: -1'400 m ·Last eruption: 2008 ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 72 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Niuafo'ou
    Distance: 209 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 260 m ·Last eruption: 1946 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM5.0

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#11
Earlier events M≥4168
Earlier events M≥591
Compared since2025-01-03

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
576
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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