M5.0 Earthquake 190 km W of Neiafu, Tonga — May 3, 2026

On May 3, 2026 at 16:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 190 km W of Neiafu, Tonga, at a depth of 292.3 km and coordinates -18.5355°, -175.7821°. This earthquake was detected by 43 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.4 mainshock that occurred 20 days ago 147 km W of Neiafu, Tonga. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 4 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

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