In the evening of Tuesday March 24th, 2026, a significant M5.2 aftershock hit in the South Pacific Ocean 298 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 156 kilometers (97 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 298 kilometer north of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 216 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 24, 2026 06:22PM (Tongatapu Time) - Mar 24, 2026 05:22 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 298 km north of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 18°28'9"S 175°27'36"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 86 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 216 km (134 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 298 kilometer (185 mi) north of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 298 km (185 mi) S from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-7.5 earthquake that struck 45 mins earlier. That main earthquake hit 24 km (15 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this MAG-5.2 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 7.5 |
Mar 24, 2026 05:37PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
41 mins later Mar 24, 2026 06:18PM (Tongatapu Time) | 60 km (37 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
45 mins later Mar 24, 2026 06:22PM (Tongatapu Time) | 25 km (15 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 hrs later Mar 24, 2026 07:45PM (Tongatapu Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
17 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 10:57AM (Tongatapu Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
17 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 10:57AM (Tongatapu Time) | 18 km (11 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
22 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 03:24PM (Tongatapu Time) | 31 km (20 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
1 day later Mar 25, 2026 08:35PM (Tongatapu Time) | 43 km (26 mi) NE 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. In total, 183 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.
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 216 km (134 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 01/04/26 05:08 (). 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 us7000s79e
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260324_0000087
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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