In the evening of Tuesday April 30th, 2024, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 218 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 202 kilometers (125 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 218 kilometer east-northeast of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 30, 2024 08:28PM (Tongatapu Time) - Apr 30, 2024 07:28 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 218 km ENE of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 20°21'14"S 173°16'34"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 38 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.093 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Tonga . Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 218 kilometer (135 mi) east-northeast of Nuku‘alofa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 218 km (135 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
3 days earlier Apr 28, 2024 03:05AM (Tongatapu Time) | 17 km (11 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Apr 30, 2024 08:28PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 5th, 2024, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 275 km (171 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on November 11th, 2022.
In total, 200 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 18 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/05/24 09:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mv4n
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240430_0000093
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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