M5.9 Depth: 27.1 km

M5.9 Earthquake near 53 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga

UTC time: 2025-03-30 15:33:49 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near 53 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga on March 30, 2025 at 15:33 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 27 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
27.1 km
UTC time
2025-03-30 15:33:49 UTC
Local time
Country
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-20.22490, -174.08130

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 27.1 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 27.1 km
Shallow
27.1 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
Nuku'alofa154.4 kmSW22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kao
    Distance: 116 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Tonga
  • Tofua
    Distance: 116 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 515 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Fonuafo'ou
    Distance: 140 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -17 m ·Last eruption: 1936 ·Tonga
  • Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
    Distance: 141 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 114 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Tonga
  • Lateiki
    Distance: 143 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Home Reef
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours4
First 24 hours9
First 72 hours12
Strongest subsequent eventM5.2

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#3
Earlier events M≥425
Earlier events M≥57
Compared since2025-01-02

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

Strongest earlier events

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
653
Country (24h)
Current earthquakes in
Magnitude Place Local time
No recent events available.

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