M5.7 Earthquake 144 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga — July 15, 2024
2024-07-15 17:40:18 UTC (2024-07-15) · approx. 5:40 AM UTC-12 local
On July 15, 2024 at 17:40 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 144 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga, at a depth of 9.0 km and coordinates -16.3707°, -172.5116°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 77 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 500, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Hihifo (population 815).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 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
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
Earthquake Details
-172.5116°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Hihifo, Tonga?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck 144 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga on July 15, 2024 at 17:40 UTC had a depth of 9.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -16.3707°, -172.5116°, which is 144 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga. The nearest populated place is Hihifo (population 815). View all earthquakes in Tonga.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 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 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mzel). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, July 15, 2024). M5.7 Earthquake 144 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga — July 15, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mzel/