In the South Pacific Ocean 150 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, a significant Magnitude 5.3 aftershock occurred in the morning of Monday March 31st, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 143 kilometers (89 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 150 kilometer north-east of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 31 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 31, 2025 10:51AM (Tongatapu Time) - Mar 30, 2025 21:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 150 km NE of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 20°15'10"S 174°6'35"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 . |
| Depth: | 31 km (19 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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 150 kilometer (93 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Tonga.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Nukuʿalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga: 1 person.
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 7 earthquake struck 23 km (14 mi) east-southeast in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 10 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 7.0 |
Mar 31, 2025 01:18AM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 03:24AM (Tongatapu Time) | 23 km (14 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
3 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 03:58AM (Tongatapu Time) | 42 km (26 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 6.2 |
3 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 04:04AM (Tongatapu Time) | 12 km (7 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
3 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 04:26AM (Tongatapu Time) | 20 km (13 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.8 |
3 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 04:33AM (Tongatapu Time) | 20 km (13 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
4 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 05:10AM (Tongatapu Time) | 19 km (12 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
7 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 08:30AM (Tongatapu Time) | 28 km (17 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
10 hrs later Mar 31, 2025 10:51AM (Tongatapu Time) | 23 km (14 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
1 day later Apr 1, 2025 02:20AM (Tongatapu Time) | 20 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
3 days later Apr 2, 2025 01:59PM (Tongatapu Time) | 23 km (14 mi) E from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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. In total, 189 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 19 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 31 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 04/04/25 21:38 (). 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 us7000pnxn
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250330_0000253
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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