Very strong M7.3 earthquake hits Tonga Islands region, Tsunami Advisory issued
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A very strong earthquake, registered by the USGS as M7.3, hit the Tonga Islands region at 10:48 UTC on November 11, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 24.8 km (15.4 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.3 at a depth of 60 km (37 miles).
The epicenter was located about 220.9 km (137.3 miles) ESE of Neiafu (population 4 320), Tonga, and 575.5 km (357.6 miles) SSW of Pago Pago (population 11 500), American Samoa.
27 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking.
Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (180 miles) of the earthquake epicenter, NWS PTWC said.
Based on all available data, the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed, PTWC said at 12:22 UTC.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and wood construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis that might have contributed to losses.
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.
Published in the last 24 hours
- In September 1859, a solar storm lit up the night sky so brightly that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up after midnight and started cooking breakfast, convinced the aurora glowing over their camp was the sunrise Epicenter
- A patch of warm Pacific water that could become the strongest El Niño in more than 70 years sits thousands of miles from any American town, yet it is already the main reason NOAA expects a wetter winter across the South and a milder one across the North
- A 19-year-old Nebraska teacher reportedly tied her pupils together with twine and led them to safety through a blizzard in January 1888 Epicenter
