On Saturday Morning a Significant M5.9 Earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 307km from Nuku‘alofa (Tonga).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on June 6th, 2025. Last updated June 16th, 2025.

In the South Pacific Ocean 307 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, a significant MAG-5.9 earthquake occurred in the morning of Saturday June 7th, 2025. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 312 kilometers (194 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 307 kilometer west-southwest of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a deep depth of 359 km.

Date and Time:	Jun 7, 2025 08:28AM (Tongatapu Time) - Jun 6, 2025 19:28 Universal Time.
Location:	307 km WSW of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 22°0'21"S 178°1'25"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.9 Detected by 38 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.05 .
Depth:	359 km (223 mi) A deep 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.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Not many people felt this earthquake

An estimated 450 have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 450 people were exposed to level II. At this level, very weak shaking and no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Fiji .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
450	II	Very weak	None
0	III	Weak	Probably none
0	IV	Light	Likely none
0	V	Moderate	Very light
0	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 307 kilometer (191 mi) west-southwest of Nuku‘alofa.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
307 km (191 mi) ENE from epicenter	Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is 0. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

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:

Tofoa-Koloua, Tongatapu, Tonga: 1 person.

Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. Just 2 days after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.3 was detected 94 km (59 mi) north of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 5.9	Jun 7, 2025 08:28AM (Tongatapu Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.3	2 days later Jun 9, 2025 11:48AM (Tongatapu Time)	94 km (59 mi) N from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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 May 25th, 2025, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 241 km (150 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.

In total, 32 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9 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 4 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 5.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 359 km (223 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 16/06/25 19:48 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.