EarthBrowserEarthquake · Sunday, September 20, 2026
Magnitude 4.4 earthquake 276 km WNW of Houma, Tonga
A magnitude 4.4 (light) earthquake struck 276 km WNW of Houma, Tonga on Sunday, September 20, 2026 at , at a depth of 507 km (deep).
- Magnitude
- 4.4Light
- Depth
- 507km · deep
- Time
- Epicenter
- 20.31° S
177.79° W - Aftershocks so far
- 8within 250 km
- Largest aftershock
- 5.9M
50 days ago · USGS id us7000tis4 · 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 4.4 means
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicenter, rattling windows and shelves, but rarely cause damage.
A magnitude 4.4 releases about 32 times the seismic energy of a magnitude 3.4, roughly the energy of 60 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.
Deep earthquakes (below 300 km) happen far down in a sinking slab of oceanic plate. They are felt over very large distances but rarely cause damage, and they do not generate tsunamis.
Nearby earthquakes and aftershocks
This event is part of a sequence: a larger magnitude 5.9 struck 127 km away on Oct 14, 10:49 UTC, so this is most likely one of its foreshocks.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Depth | Distance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | 552 km | 113 km | Fiji region | |
| 5.9 | 585 km | 127 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.6 | 513 km | 16 km | 260 km WNW of Houma, Tonga | |
| 4.6 | 560 km | 49 km | 268 km WNW of Houma, Tonga | |
| 4.4 | 638 km | 165 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.7 | 573 km | 85 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.4 | 584 km | 132 km | Fiji region | |
| 4.2 | 409 km | 174 km | Fiji region | |
| before | 4.7 | 548 km | 245 km | Fiji region |
| before | 4.6 | 499 km | 49 km | 295 km WNW of Houma, Tonga |
| before | 5.0 | 619 km | 175 km | Fiji region |
| before | 4.5 | 218 km | 154 km | 122 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.