M5.2 earthquake near Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu
3590 d ago · 17 Dec 2016, 18:49 UTC 48 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
What happened
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 48 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 17 Dec 2016, 18:49 UTC at a depth of 10 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.
The nearest town in our records is Nuku‘alofa, about 76 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:47 UTC
Community
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