EarthBrowserEarthquake · Thursday, September 3, 2026
Magnitude 4.5 earthquake 122 km WNW of Houma, Tonga
A magnitude 4.5 (light) earthquake struck 122 km WNW of Houma, Tonga on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at , at a depth of 218 km (intermediate).
- Magnitude
- 4.5Light
- Depth
- 218km · intermediate
- Time
- Epicenter
- 20.79° S
176.41° W - Aftershocks so far
- 7within 250 km
- Largest aftershock
- 5.4M
67 days ago · USGS id us7000tdv1 · last revised
The full globe opens the 3D cross-section: the hypocenter at depth, the plate boundary and subducting slab where there is one, the aftershock sequence as it grows, and the sea floor around an offshore epicenter.
What a magnitude 4.5 means
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicenter, rattling windows and shelves, but rarely cause damage.
A magnitude 4.5 releases about 32 times the seismic energy of a magnitude 3.5, roughly the energy of 85 tonnes of TNT. Magnitude measures the energy released at the source; how hard the ground shook at any one place depends on distance, depth and local geology, and is reported separately as intensity.
Intermediate-depth earthquakes (70 to 300 km) occur inside subducting slabs. The extra distance to the surface spreads the shaking over a wider area at lower intensity.
Nearby earthquakes and aftershocks
This event is part of a sequence: a larger magnitude 5.4 struck 242 km away on Sep 29, 12:40 UTC, so this is most likely one of its foreshocks.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Depth | Distance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4 | 10 km | 242 km | 99 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga | |
| 4.7 | 573 km | 218 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.8 | 122 km | 101 km | 26 km NW of Houma, Tonga | |
| 4.4 | 584 km | 219 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.2 | 409 km | 248 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.4 | 507 km | 154 km | 276 km WNW of Houma, Tonga | |
| 4.6 | 499 km | 176 km | 295 km WNW of Houma, Tonga |
Frequently asked questions
How is earthquake magnitude measured?
Modern magnitudes are moment magnitudes (Mw), computed from the seismic moment: the area of the fault that slipped, how far it slipped and the rigidity of the rock. Each whole step up the scale is about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 7 releases roughly a thousand times the energy of a magnitude 5.
What is the difference between magnitude and intensity?
Magnitude is one number for the whole earthquake, describing the energy released at the source. Intensity describes the shaking at a particular place, on the Modified Mercalli scale from I (not felt) to X+ (extreme), and falls off with distance from the epicenter.
What is an aftershock?
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake in the same area after a larger one, as the crust around the ruptured fault adjusts to the new stresses. They are most frequent in the first hours and days and fade over weeks to months, though a large mainshock can produce aftershocks for years.
Why do the magnitude and location change?
The first solution uses the nearest stations only. As recordings arrive from more seismographs around the world, USGS revises the magnitude, depth and epicenter, sometimes several times in the first hours. This page reflects the latest revision.
Where does this earthquake data come from?
From the U.S. Geological Survey’s real-time earthquake feeds, which combine the USGS National Earthquake Information Center with regional seismic networks worldwide. EarthBrowser ingests the feed every minute.