M 5.7 - 180 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga

Source: USGS · Tonga

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 180 km NW of Hihifo. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.7 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,834 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.7 event ranks stronger than 93% of them (rank #96 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 5.7
USGS class
Moderate
Location
180 km NW of Hihifo
Archive rank
#96 of 1,834
Source
USGS
Published
September 23, 2026
MODERATE

Out of 1,834 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 93% of them — 95 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: USGS's reading at the moment of detection — the agency keeps revising magnitude, aftershock counts, and felt reports on its own event page as more data arrives.

What Happened

A M 5.7 mww earthquake occurred 180 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga, at a depth of 10 km. The event took place at 1790174462650 Unix time (UTC) and was reviewed by USGS.

Location Details

The epicenter was located at latitude -14.9369, longitude -175.1114, 180 km northwest of Hihifo, Tonga. The 10 km depth classifies this as a shallow earthquake (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. The Modified Mercalli Intensity reached 3.962. A green alert level was issued, and no tsunami advisory was in effect (tsunami flag: 0).

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake. Shallow events of this magnitude can produce noticeable shaking but are unlikely to cause significant damage in remote areas.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000tx3m

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

All Earthquakes →

Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck 180 km northwest of Hihifo, Tonga, at a depth of 10 km.
What does an M5.7 "Moderate" reading actually indicate? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.7 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive? ▾
This is the #96 strongest of the 1,834 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 93% of them and weaker than 95 others.
Was Hihifo likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 180 km NW of Hihifo. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.