Earthquakes in Tonga — March 2026

40 earthquakes were recorded in Tonga during March 2026, an average of 1.3 per day.

40 reached magnitude 4 or above and 18 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 164 km.

The month's largest event in Tonga was a magnitude 7.5 earthquake near Neiafu, Tonga on 24 March 2026 at 04:37 UTC. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake radiates roughly 2.7 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the Tonga monthly average of 18 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and up from the 17 recorded the previous month.

45% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 40% intermediate (70–300 km) and 15% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 22 in the magnitude 4 range, 12 in the magnitude 5 range, 5 in the magnitude 6 range, 1 in the magnitude 7 range.

Activity peaked on 22 March, when 8 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M7.5 near Neiafu, Tonga on 24 March at 229 km; M6.3 near Hihifo, Tonga on 22 March at 10 km; M6.2 near Hihifo, Tonga on 22 March at 80 km.

That is 116% above the 18 events Tonga averages per month across the 21 months on record.

This month also holds the strongest earthquake recorded in Tonga in our entire catalogue.