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Tonga · Tongatapu

M4.8 Earthquake near Tongatapu (Tonga)

UTC time: 2026-09-22 20:11:51 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

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

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About this earthquake

On September 22, 2026 at 20:11 UTC, a magnitude M4.8 earthquake occurred near Tongatapu (Tonga). The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 122 km. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
b9dd7ca806c25c68d9588a01c8a0e3a9035d9a6f
Magnitude
M4.8
Depth
121.9 km
UTC time
2026-09-22 20:11:51 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Tonga
State
Tongatapu
City
Tongatapu
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-20.98390, -175.46100
Temperature
21.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 121.9 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 121.9 km
Intermediate
121.9 km
121.9 km — deeper than the regional average (96.8 km)
Regional average: 96.8 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the Tonga Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Australia · about 83 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Tofua Arc at 20.9°S
    Distance: 17 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -296 m ·Last eruption: 2017 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 21.1°S
    Distance: 35 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -65 m ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 21.3°S
    Distance: 44 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -68 m ·Last eruption: 1932 ·Tonga
  • Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai
    Distance: 49 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 114 m ·Last eruption: 2022 ·Tonga
  • Fonuafo'ou
    Distance: 74 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -17 m ·Last eruption: 1936 ·Tonga
  • Tofua
    Distance: 143 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 515 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Fua'amotu International AirportTonga · TBU · NFTF
    43.2 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-23

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Tonga

Context for this earthquake

23 Sep 2025 – 23 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 11 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Tonga

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Tonga

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
579
Country (24h)
Tonga
1
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