In the North Atlantic Ocean 82 kilometer from The Valley, Anguilla, a shallow M4.9 earthquake occurred in the morning of Monday November 20th, 2023. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe and U.S. Virgin Islands are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Atlantic Ocean, 75 kilometers (47 mi) off the coast of Anguilla, 82 kilometer east-northeast of The Valley. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 22 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 20, 2023 08:50 (Anguilla Time) - Nov 20, 2023 12:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 85 km NE of Gustavia, All regions, Saint Barthelemy. Coordinates 18°28'58"N 62°19'41"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.9 Detected by 16 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.036 . |
| Depth: | 22 km (13 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
9 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Anguilla , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Antigua and Barbuda , Montserrat , British Virgin Islands , Guadeloupe and U.S. Virgin Islands .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is The Valley in The Valley, Anguilla. The Valley is located 82 kilometer (51 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 82 km (51 mi) WSW from epicenter |
The Valley The Valley, Anguilla. |
| 85 km (53 mi) SW from epicenter |
Gustavia All regions, Saint Barthelemy. |
| 92 km (57 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Marigot All regions, Saint Martin. |
| 139 km (86 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Basseterre Saint George Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. |
| 160 km (99 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Saint John’s Saint John, Antigua and Barbuda. |
| 188 km (117 mi) S from epicenter |
Brades Saint Peter, Montserrat. |
| 198 km (123 mi) S from epicenter |
Plymouth Saint Anthony, Montserrat. |
| 242 km (150 mi) W from epicenter |
Road Town All regions, British Virgin Islands. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Sainte-Rose Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Baie-Mahault Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 261 km (162 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Les Abymes Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 261 km (162 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Le Moule Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 263 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 266 km (165 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Petit-Bourg Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 268 km (167 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Le Gosier Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 269 km (167 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Saint Croix Saint Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. |
| 270 km (168 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Sainte-Anne Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 275 km (171 mi) W from epicenter |
Charlotte Amalie Saint Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. |
| 283 km (176 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Capesterre-Belle-Eau Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Basse-Terre Guadeloupe, Guadeloupe. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Netherlands Antilles.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 July 12th, 2023, when a 5 magnitude earthquake hit 281 km (175 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on July 10th, 2023.
In total, 31 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.9 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 4 months.
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 4.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 22 km (13 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 30/11/23 13:38 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000lplj
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231120_0000107
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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