M6.0 earthquake near Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu
17077 d ago · 14 Jan 1980, 12:19 UTC 118 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
What happened
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck 118 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 14 Jan 1980, 12:19 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 141 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
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