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M5.3 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.3 Earthquake near Tonga Islands

UTC time: 2026-04-29 02:31:02 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Tonga Islands on April 29, 2026 at 02:31 UTC. 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 GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-29 02:31:02 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
-18.10000, -175.86000
Temperature
27.4°C

Map

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

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Nuku'alofa344.7 kmS22'400

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Late
    Distance: 150 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 540 m ·Last eruption: 1854 ·Tonga
  • Home Reef
    Distance: 151 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -10 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Tonga
  • Lateiki
    Distance: 159 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 43 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Tofua Arc at 18.3°S
    Distance: 160 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 2019 ·Tonga
  • Fonualei
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 188 m ·Last eruption: 1957 ·Tonga
  • Kao
    Distance: 196 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'009 m ·Last eruption: 1847 ·Tonga

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours1
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M4.92026-04-29 02:31:14 UTC110.6 km M5.02026-04-30 09:07:07 UTC63.6 km M5.02026-04-30 09:07:10 UTC72.0 km135 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga M5.12026-05-02 11:30:48 UTC73.9 kmTonga Islands M4.92026-05-02 11:30:49 UTC54.4 km M5.02026-05-03 16:36:14 UTC49.1 km M4.32026-05-04 03:58:51 UTC94.3 km M4.92026-05-16 15:47:20 UTC50.9 kmTonga Islands M4.72026-05-16 15:47:21 UTC61.8 km M4.42026-05-17 00:13:49 UTC50.2 km M4.52026-05-17 13:16:28 UTC44.6 km M4.02026-05-23 22:51:59 UTC117.3 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#7
Earlier events M≥457
Earlier events M≥513
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.42025-05-14 04:15:39 UTC87.7 kmTonga Islands M6.42025-05-14 04:15:38 UTC92.0 km137 km W of Neiafu, Tonga M6.42025-05-14 04:15:37 UTC85.8 km M5.52026-04-13 02:15:01 UTC57.0 km M5.52026-04-13 02:14:59 UTC101.1 kmTonga Islands

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
584
Country (24h)
—
—
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