Magnitude
M5.3
- Depth
- 10.0 km
- Source
- USGS
Vavaʻu · Vavaʻu
Country overviewTonga · Vavaʻu
M5.3 Earthquake near Vavaʻu (Tonga)
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:
Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.
Map
About this earthquake
On September 8, 2026 at 11:51 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near Vavaʻu (Tonga). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.
The event was recorded by USGS.
Details
Depth profile
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (92.7 km)
Regional average: 92.7 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
Estimated impact
3
Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.4
Tectonic context
Located on the Tonga Plate.
Near the boundary Tonga ↔ Niuafoʻou · about 69 km away
Nearby population centers
Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.
PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa315.7 kmS22'400
GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Volcanoes nearby
Radius · 100 km
Nearby infrastructure
Airports
- Vava'u International Airport23.8 kmStraight-line distance
Tonga · VAV · NFTV
Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20
This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates
Subsequent earthquakes nearby
Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.
First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours1
Strongest subsequent eventM5.5
Comparison of seismic sources
2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.3 to M5.3.
Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.
SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.310.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.310.0 km0.0 km
Tonga
Context for this earthquake
20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 10 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 profileHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#11
Earlier events M≥474
Earlier events M≥525
Compared since2025-01-02
The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.
Strongest earlier events
Historic earthquake map · Tonga
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.
Country statistics · Tonga
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
598
Country (24h)
Tonga
0
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