In the South Pacific Ocean 76 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake occurred in the morning of Wednesday May 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 65 kilometers (40 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 76 kilometer east of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 13, 2026 10:53AM (Tongatapu Time) - May 12, 2026 21:53 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 76 km east of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 21°8'56"S 174°27'55"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 41 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.089 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very 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 . Located 76 kilometer (47 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nuku‘alofa (Tongatapu, Tonga) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 76 km (47 mi) W from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. Just 8 sec after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.1 was detected 17 km (11 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 13, 2026 10:53AM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
8 sec later May 13, 2026 10:53AM (Tongatapu Time) | 17 km (11 mi) SE 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.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 23rd, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 201 km (125 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on March 24th, 2026.
In total, 242 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 15 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 13/05/26 10:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000sxaj
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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