M6.3 earthquake - 265 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
16006 d ago · 20 Dec 1982, 17:46 UTC 265 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga
What happened
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 265 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on 20 Dec 1982, 17:46 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 277 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
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