M4.8 Earthquake 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga — August 14, 2020
2020-08-14 11:50:48 UTC (2020-08-14) · approx. 11:50 PM UTC-12 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On August 14, 2020 at 11:50 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga, at a depth of 38.3 km and coordinates -15.6816°, -173.7007°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Tonga, a region characterized by the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone, where the Pacific Plate descends at up to 240 mm per year — the fastest plate convergence on Earth. The nearest mapped fault system is the Tonga Trench. View all earthquakes in Tonga.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-173.7007°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Hihifo, Tonga?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga on August 14, 2020 at 11:50 UTC had a depth of 38.3 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -15.6816°, -173.7007°, which is 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga. View all earthquakes in Tonga.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Tonga had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Tonga was the M8.1 Tonga Trench earthquake of June 26, 1917. Today's magnitude 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000bemn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 14, 2020). M4.8 Earthquake 31 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga — August 14, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000bemn/