A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 165 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga in the night of Monday April 29th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 159 kilometers (99 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 165 kilometer west-southwest of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 168 km.
| Date and Time: | Apr 29, 2024 01:55AM (Tongatapu Time) - Apr 28, 2024 12:55 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 165 km WSW of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 21°51'0"S 176°35'50"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 168 km (105 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Tonga . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga. Nuku‘alofa is located 165 kilometer (103 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 165 km (103 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 17th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 146 km (91 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.
In total, 201 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 18 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 168 km (105 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/05/24 15:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mumi
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240428_0000129
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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