In the evening of Monday April 15th, 2024, a significant MAG-5.4 earthquake hit under land 107 kilometer from Kokopo in Papua New Guinea. Roughly 590 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 107 kilometer (66 mi) south-southwest of Kokopo in East New Britain. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 52 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 15, 2024 20:43 (Port Moresby Time) - Apr 15, 2024 10:43 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 107 km SSW of Kokopo, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 5°13'43"S 151°53'33"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 16 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.078 . |
| Depth: | 52 km (32 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (11 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 590 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 590 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 36,510 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 550 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Papua New Guinea .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 1,310 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 553,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 36,510 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . Kokopo in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 107 kilometer (66 mi) south-southwest of Kokopo. Kokopo experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 107 km (66 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kokopo East New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
III
Weak |
| 198 km (123 mi) W from epicenter |
Kimbe West New Britain, Papua New Guinea. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is IV.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
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 14th, 2024, when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit 110 km (68 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck on December 17th, 2016.
In total, 163 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 22 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always 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 on land near a coastal area (11 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 52 km (32 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/05/24 12:08 (). 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 us7000mc5q
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240415_0000060
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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