5.1

M5.1 Earthquake 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, TongaJune 25, 2024

2024-06-25 06:45:33 UTC (2024-06-25) · approx. 6:45 PM UTC-12 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.1(mb)
Time06:45 UTC6:45 PM UTC-12
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-20.886°, -173.839°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 25, 2024 at 06:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -20.8857°, -173.8392°. This earthquake was detected by 91 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 400, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -20.89°, -173.84°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.1 earthquake near 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.1 mb
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
-20.8857°N
-173.8392°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000n82d
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
400
Stations Used
91
Azimuthal Gap
64.0°
Min Station Distance
1.306°
RMS Residual
0.81 sec
Last Updated
2024-09-04 21:57:40 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near ‘Ohonua, Tonga?

The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga on June 25, 2024 at 06:45 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.8857°, -173.8392°, which is 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga. View all earthquakes in Tonga.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000n82d). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, June 25, 2024). M5.1 Earthquake 126 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, TongaJune 25, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000n82d/