In the evening of Sunday March 8th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.3 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 168 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 163 kilometers (101 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 168 kilometer southwest of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 200 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 8, 2026 08:18PM (Tongatapu Time) - Mar 8, 2026 07:18 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 168 km SW of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 21°51'44"S 176°37'40"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 200 km (124 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 . Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 168 kilometer (104 mi) southwest of Nuku‘alofa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 168 km (104 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 17 km (10 mi) south of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Mar 8, 2026 08:18PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
3 days later Mar 11, 2026 03:19PM (Tongatapu Time) | 17 km (10 mi) S 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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 March 1st, 2026, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 292 km (181 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.
In total, 204 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 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 200 km (124 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/03/26 09:58 (). 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 us7000s2y6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260308_0000113
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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