In the North Pacific Ocean 96 kilometer from Dededo Village, Guam, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in the night of Wednesday April 17th, 2024. Around 180 thousand people have been exposed to shaking. Another nearby country is Northern Mariana Islands.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 88 kilometers (54 mi) off the coast of Guam, 96 kilometer south-east of Dededo Village in Dededo. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 18 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 17, 2024 00:58 (Guam Time) - Apr 16, 2024 14:58 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 96 km SE of Dededo Village, Dededo, Guam. Coordinates 12°53'19"N 145°26'33"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 . |
| Depth: | 18 km (11 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:
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Based on scientific estimates by the 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 180 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 180 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 183,700 people are expected to be exposed to this level.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Guam , around 180 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Northern Mariana Islands too.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 183,700 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | 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
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Guam and Northern Mariana Islands .
Mangilao Village in Mangilao, Guam is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 93 kilometer (58 mi) south-east of Mangilao Village. Mangilao Village experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 93 km (58 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 94 km (58 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 96 km (60 mi) NW from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 98 km (61 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 98 km (61 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 99 km (62 mi) NW from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 100 km (62 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 261 km (162 mi) N from epicenter |
Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
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 February 4th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 216 km (134 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on September 17th, 2014.
In total, 37 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 3 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 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 18 km (11 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 02/05/24 00:28 (). 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 us7000mcej
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240416_0000179
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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