In the South Pacific Ocean 97 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, a significant Magnitude 5.2 aftershock occurred just before midnight of Monday January 26th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 83 kilometers (51 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 97 kilometer south-southeast of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 26, 2026 11:52PM (Tongatapu Time) - Jan 26, 2026 10:52 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 97 km SSE of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 21°54'22"S 174°44'52"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 33 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.1 . |
| Depth: | 35 km (22 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 97 kilometer (60 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 97 km (60 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-5.4 earthquake that struck 7 hrs earlier. That main earthquake hit 21 km (13 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this MAG-5.2 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.4 |
Jan 26, 2026 04:31PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
7 hrs later Jan 26, 2026 11:52PM (Tongatapu Time) | 21 km (13 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
10 hrs later Jan 27, 2026 02:02AM (Tongatapu Time) | 44 km (27 mi) NE 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, 180 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 20 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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 27/01/26 09:08 (). 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 us7000rs3s
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260126_0000187
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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