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M5.3 Earthquake near 155 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga

UTC time: 2026-09-17 04:06:54 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

155 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near 155 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near 155 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga · 2026-09-17 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near 155 km SSE of Hihifo, Tonga on September 17, 2026 at 04:06 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
a62b022ca43a89ec8c6498bb54e428e5a6fd7b9f
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-17 04:06:54 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-17.32320, -173.44760
Temperature
23.9°C

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

Tectonic context

Located on the Tonga Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Pacific · about 111 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Alofi405.1 kmSE624

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Fonualei
    Distance: 121 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 148 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Tafahi
    Distance: 166 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 546 m ·Tonga
  • Curacoa
    Distance: 191 km ·Complex ·Elevation: -33 m ·Last eruption: 1979 ·Tonga
  • Late
    Distance: 208 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 540 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Tonga
  • Niuatahi
    Distance: 225 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: -1'270 m ·Tonga

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.5.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
RESIFM5.010.0 km23.8 km
EMSCM5.310.0 km0.0 km
GFZM5.510.0 km6.7 km
USGSM5.310.0 km0.0 km

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#38
Earlier events M≥498
Earlier events M≥549
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.02026-03-08 09:28:26 UTC142.4 kmTonga Islands M5.72026-05-26 19:12:31 UTC114.5 kmTonga Islands region M5.62026-05-26 19:12:33 UTC54.8 kmTonga Islands Region M5.62025-08-14 04:38:17 UTC146.2 kmTonga Islands Region M5.62025-08-14 04:38:14 UTC147.2 km156 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
537
Country (24h)
—
—
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