Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits Tonga region
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit the Tonga region at 06:40 UTC on January 27, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 14.5 km (9 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).
The epicenter was located about 219 km (136 miles) WNW of Pangai and 251 km (156 miles) NNW of Nuku'alofa, Tonga. This is about 184 km (114 miles) NW of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apau volcano where a massive eruption took place on January 15, 2022.
There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
Regional seismicity

Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
Earlier reporting
Nothing on Watchers was published in the last 24 hours. These are older articles.
- Deep M6.2 earthquake hits Vanuatu 43 km from Port-Olry at 143 km depth, no tsunami threat as USGS issues Green alert
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- On December 26, 2004, a 10-year-old British girl on a Phuket beach recognized the frothing sea from a recent geography lesson, and her warning helped clear the beach before the tsunami struck Epicenter
- A volcano in Tonga exploded so loudly in 2022 that people in Alaska, 6,000 miles away, were woken by the booms. Hawaii, at half that distance, heard nothing at all Epicenter

