Open Earth
6.5
EarthquakeMajor

M6.5 earthquake - 231 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga

14525 d ago · 9 Jan 1987, 08:01 UTC 231 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga

What happened

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 231 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga on 9 Jan 1987, 08:01 UTC at a depth of 33 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. 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 232 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.

Timeline

  1. First reported by USGS

    16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC

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