In the South Pacific Ocean 300 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, a significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock occurred in the evening of Tuesday March 24th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 151 kilometers (94 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 300 kilometer north of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 209 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 24, 2026 06:22PM (Tongatapu Time) - Mar 24, 2026 05:22 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 300 km north of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 18°26'56"S 175°24'49"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 93 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.059 . |
| Depth: | 209 km (130 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 300 kilometer (186 mi) north of Nuku‘alofa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 300 km (186 mi) S from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 45 mins before this earthquake hit, a larger 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck 17 km (10 mi) south of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.1 earthquake as an aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 7.5 |
Mar 24, 2026 05:37PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
13 mins later Mar 24, 2026 05:51PM (Tongatapu Time) | 33 km (20 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
41 mins later Mar 24, 2026 06:18PM (Tongatapu Time) | 52 km (32 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
45 mins later Mar 24, 2026 06:22PM (Tongatapu Time) | 17 km (10 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
1 hr later Mar 24, 2026 06:51PM (Tongatapu Time) | 43 km (27 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
2 hrs later Mar 24, 2026 07:25PM (Tongatapu Time) | 19 km (12 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 hrs later Mar 24, 2026 07:45PM (Tongatapu Time) | 17 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
3 hrs later Mar 24, 2026 08:55PM (Tongatapu Time) | 28 km (18 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
17 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 10:57AM (Tongatapu Time) | 31 km (19 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
19 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 12:55PM (Tongatapu Time) | 29 km (18 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
22 hrs later Mar 25, 2026 03:24PM (Tongatapu Time) | 10 km (6 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
1 day later Mar 25, 2026 08:35PM (Tongatapu Time) | 27 km (17 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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. In total, 230 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 16 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 209 km (130 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 21/04/26 08:28 (). 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.
- 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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