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M5.6 Depth: 25.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Tonga Islands Region

UTC time: 2025-08-14 04:38:17 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On August 14, 2025 at 04:38 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Tonga Islands Region. With a focal depth of about 25 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
25.0 km
UTC time
2025-08-14 04:38:17 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-18.41000, -172.62000
Temperature
24.1°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 25 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 25 km
Shallow
25 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
Alofi293.2 kmE624

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Fonualei
    Distance: 184 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 184 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Late
    Distance: 218 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 540 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Tonga
  • Home Reef
    Distance: 236 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Lateiki
    Distance: 252 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Kao
    Distance: 288 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Tonga

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥414
Earlier events M≥57
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M5.62025-08-14 04:38:14 UTC10.6 km156 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga M5.52025-08-14 04:38:14 UTC12.5 kmTonga Islands Region M5.42025-08-06 22:08:15 UTC148.2 kmTonga Islands M5.12025-03-23 23:36:23 UTC107.7 km176 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga M5.02025-04-16 07:30:18 UTC36.1 km135 km E of Neiafu, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
586
Country (24h)
—
—
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