Observed earthquake
TONGA REGION
Recent observationReported by 2 agencies. Every solution below is that agency's own measurement, stored unaltered.
Agency solutions
The same earthquake as measured independently by each agency. Values are never averaged or rewritten.
| Agency | Magnitude | Depth | Origin time | Epicentre | Review status | Source record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMSCEuropean-Mediterranean Seismological Centre | M5.8 m | 75 km | 2026-10-26 10:28:53 UTC | 17.09°S, 172.08°W | Not stated | 20261026_0000129 ↗ |
| GEOFONGFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences | M5.5 mb | 75 km | 2026-10-26 10:28:53 UTC | 17.09°S, 172.08°W | Not stated | gfz2026uzgs ↗ |
Source: Earthquake data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) via SeismicPortal. · Retrieved: 2026-10-27 13:25:50 UTC
Source: Earthquake solutions from the GEOFON programme, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences. · Retrieved: 2026-10-27 13:25:52 UTC · grouped with match confidence 97%
Why the agencies differ
Differences of a few tenths of a magnitude unit and tens of kilometres are normal and expected. Each agency uses a different set of seismic stations, a different velocity model for the Earth's interior, and sometimes a different magnitude scale altogether. None of them is “wrong”; they are independent measurements of the same event.
Prakruti groups solutions only when they agree closely in both time and location, and shows the preferred solution — favouring an analyst-reviewed moment magnitude where one exists — while keeping every other solution visible above.