PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Tonga

Tonga has catalogued 10,884 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 8th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.8.

Tonga ranks 8th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - among the most seismically active nations on Earth, averaging about 518 M4+ events a year alongside 475 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1905 to 2026, peaking in 1984.

10,884
M4+ events (since 2005)
475
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.8
Strongest
~518
M4+ per year

The verdict

Tonga is one of the world's most seismically active places, with 10,884 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 475 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.8.

1984
busiest year (11 major events)
69 km
average recorded event depth
75%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Russia sits immediately above at 12,611 events and Mexico sits immediately below at 8,517.

Follow Tonga events (RSS)

ComCat magnitude tape

Event tape TONGA · Tonga M4+ · 8th/187

Tonga · 10,884 M4+ · max M7.8 · 475 M6+

  • SHAL 10,884
  • PCT 8th/187
  • VS-PEER M7.8
  • COMCAT 475
  • TAPE near Russia
  • EPIC 75% shallow

Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →

Observed impact record

What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Tonga

USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 95 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 4.2. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.

MMI observations
95
Average observed MMI
4.2
PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
75 / 21

Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.

1. New Zealand7,5472. Vanuatu7,6203. Mexico8,5174. Tonga10,8845. Russia12,6116. Chile13,888
M4+ catalog count for Tonga and nearest-count peers. Source: USGS ComCat, 2005–present.

Where Tonga sits in the catalog

Rank 8th of 187 tracked countries (96th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Russia sits immediately above at 12,611 events and Mexico sits immediately below at 8,517.

  • Russia - next more active (12,611 M4+)
  • Mexico - next less active (8,517 M4+)

Tonga's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

10,884 Top 4% higher than 96% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). Below this entry. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,500: 5 countries (3%). Below this entry. 1,500–2,000: 5 countries (3%). Below this entry. 2,000–2,500: 1 countries (1%). Below this entry. 2,500–3,000: 1 countries (1%). Below this entry. 3,000–3,500: 2 countries (1%). Below this entry. 3,500–4,000: 1 countries (1%). Below this entry. 4,000–4,500: 2 countries (1%). Below this entry. 4,500–5,000: 4 countries (2%). Below this entry. 5,000–5,500: 12 countries (6%). This entry sits in this band. Tonga 0 5,000+ every tracked country, bucketed by value

Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Tonga by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Tonga's most active year for major earthquakes was 1984 (11 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2005–present

How Tonga earthquake activity changed recently

Year M4+ events YoY change Global YoY
2026 6 +50.0% -43.9%
2025 4 -33.3% +29.3%
2024 6 -25.0% -12.6%
2023 8 +100.0% +3.0%
2022 4 +33.3% -8.9%

Tonga's M4+ activity rose faster than the global average in 2026: +50.0% locally vs -43.9% globally, a 93.9-point gap.

Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ = magnitude 4.0 or greater. YoY = year-on-year change. Global column uses the worldwide total from the same catalog.

0%100%1.1%
Share of Tonga's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

116 of 10,884 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 475 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Tonga.

How the 475 total breaks down by magnitude M6.0-6.9 is the largest share -- 93.3%

M7.0-7.9

32

6.7%

M6.0-6.9

443

93.3%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 475 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 69 km.

Tonga75.4%21.3%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Tonga's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

358

75.4% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

101

21.3% of events

Deep (>300 km)

16

3.4% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Tonga

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.8 192 km WSW of Haveluloto, Tonga 167.3 km
7.8 146 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga 33.0 km
7.8 159 km W of Pangai, Tonga 215.9 km
7.8 111 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 25.0 km
7.7 133 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 25.0 km
7.6 82 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 210.0 km
7.6 191 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 31.0 km
7.6 199 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga 33.0 km
7.5 158 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 234.0 km
7.5 110 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 15.0 km

Significant earthquake record (475 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Tonga since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.1 88 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 36.0 km
7.5 158 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 234.0 km
6.3 140 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 12.0 km
6.2 148 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.2 121 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 14.0 km
6.0 7 km WSW of Hihifo, Tonga 134.0 km
6.0 187 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 48.0 km
6.4 142 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 260.0 km
6.2 72 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 17.0 km
7.0 61 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 29.0 km
6.6 125 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 65 km W of Pangai, Tonga 99.3 km
6.9 75 km W of Pangai, Tonga 96.0 km
6.0 73 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 9.0 km
6.6 70 km NW of Fangale’ounga, Tonga 137.0 km
6.4 148 km NW of Fangale’ounga, Tonga 209.0 km
6.2 174 km NW of Fangale’ounga, Tonga 248.0 km
6.1 105 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 42.0 km
6.9 132 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga 229.0 km
6.1 241 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 22.0 km
6.2 254 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 16.0 km
6.0 261 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 20.0 km
7.2 274 km SW of Houma, Tonga 179.0 km
7.6 82 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 210.0 km
6.8 109 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 38.0 km
7.3 205 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga 37.0 km
6.3 129 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga 237.0 km
6.2 220 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga 6.2 km
6.0 185 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga 10.0 km
6.5 207 km WSW of Haveluloto, Tonga 246.0 km
6.5 225 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga 301.0 km
6.0 291 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga 417.0 km
6.2 83 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 34.0 km
6.4 39 km NE of Pangai, Tonga 28.0 km
6.1 141 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 12.0 km
6.0 111 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 171 km E of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 159 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.2 147 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 10.0 km
6.6 136 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 10.0 km
6.1 82 km ENE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 13.0 km
6.0 108 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 132 km WSW of Haveluloto, Tonga 177.8 km
6.0 121 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 15.4 km
6.4 91 km SW of Pangai, Tonga 113.0 km
6.1 79 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 35.0 km
6.0 191 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga 9.0 km
6.8 97 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.1 103 km SE of Pangai, Tonga 10.0 km
6.1 156 km NW of Pangai, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 198 km W of Pangai, Tonga 10.0 km
6.1 127 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.4 118 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga 202.0 km
6.0 115 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 8.0 km
6.0 32 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 63 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga 12.0 km
6.0 89 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 48.0 km
6.0 51 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.2 175 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 135 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga 203.0 km
6.3 106 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 30.0 km
6.5 96 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 11.0 km
6.4 110 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 14.5 km
6.0 98 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 119 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga 8.0 km
6.0 168 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 35.0 km
6.2 71 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 227.3 km
6.1 56 km NE of Kolonga, Tonga 45.0 km
6.1 130 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga 6.1 km
6.2 152 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga 10.1 km
6.0 285 km SW of Vaini, Tonga 160.0 km
6.0 84 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 31.6 km
6.3 85 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga 150.0 km
7.4 292 km SW of Vaini, Tonga 173.7 km
6.4 140 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga 212.9 km
6.6 76 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 134.7 km
6.0 27 km SSW of Hihifo, Tonga 90.0 km
6.4 172 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.2 75 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 37.0 km
6.1 56 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga 85.0 km
6.0 101 km SSW of Vaini, Tonga 76.0 km
6.1 72 km S of Pangai, Tonga 18.0 km
6.1 141 km N of Neiafu, Tonga 69.0 km
6.1 97 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 35.0 km
6.0 155 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga 273.2 km
6.0 277 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 15.0 km
6.1 65 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 11.0 km
6.1 104 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.8 104 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga 18.0 km
6.3 159 km NW of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.1 54 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga 8.0 km
6.0 134 km E of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.0 95 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga 10.0 km
6.6 154 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga 11.0 km
7.6 191 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 31.0 km
6.0 249 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga 9.0 km
6.0 93 km NNW of Hihifo, Tonga 121.0 km
6.4 146 km W of Neiafu, Tonga 233.4 km
6.9 130 km ESE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga 29.0 km
6.1 101 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga 8.0 km

Showing the first 100 of 475 significant events.

Other countries in this catalog sample

A Tonga-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.

Turkey

2,252 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Ukraine

17 M4+ events · strongest M4.9

M4.9

Guadeloupe

154 M4+ events · strongest M6.5

M6.5

Slovakia

1 M4+ events · strongest M5.0

M5.0

Micronesia

678 M4+ events · strongest M6.6

M6.6

Japan

27,995 M4+ events · strongest M9.1

M9.1

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

A second Tonga-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.

Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.

Colombia

1,738 M4+ events

M7.4

Venezuela

538 M4+ events

M7.5

Myanmar

1,146 M4+ events

M7.7

Philippines

14,420 M4+ events

M7.8

Afghanistan

3,497 M4+ events

M7.5

Turkey

2,252 M4+ events

M7.8

According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-26.