M5.5 Earthquake 126 km WNW of Houma, Tonga — October 28, 2023
2023-10-28 04:33:30 UTC (2023-10-28) · approx. 4:33 PM UTC-12 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On October 28, 2023 at 04:33 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 126 km WNW of Houma, Tonga, at a depth of 214.3 km and coordinates -20.6015°, -176.3616°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.1 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 103 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 466, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is `Ohonua (population 1,241).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 88,013 |
Earthquake Details
-176.3616°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Houma, Tonga?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 126 km WNW of Houma, Tonga on October 28, 2023 at 04:33 UTC had a depth of 214.3 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.1 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.6015°, -176.3616°, which is 126 km WNW of Houma, Tonga. The nearest populated place is `Ohonua (population 1,241). View all earthquakes in Tonga.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000l73e). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 28, 2023). M5.5 Earthquake 126 km WNW of Houma, Tonga — October 28, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000l73e/