In the South China Sea 227 kilometer from Laoag, The Philippines, a shallow and significant M5.3 earthquake occurred in the evening of Tuesday April 23rd, 2024. Another nearby country is Taiwan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South China Sea, 80 kilometers (50 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 227 kilometer north-northeast of Laoag in Ilocos. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 20 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 23, 2024 08:55PM (Manila Time) - Apr 23, 2024 12:55 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 299 km SSE of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Coordinates 20°6'40"N 121°20'59"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 26 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.061 . |
| Depth: | 20 km (12 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
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: The Philippines and Taiwan .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Aparri in Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. Aparri is located 197 kilometer (122 mi) north of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kaohsiung is located 299 km to the north-northwest. Laoag is located 227 km to the south-southwest. Tuguegarao is located 280 km to the south.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 197 km (122 mi) S from epicenter |
Aparri Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 220 km (137 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Hengchun Pingtung County, Taiwan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Laoag Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 230 km (143 mi) SSW from epicenter |
San Nicolas Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 243 km (151 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Batac City Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 276 km (171 mi) S from epicenter |
Solana Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Donggang Pingtung County, Taiwan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) S from epicenter |
Tuguegarao Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 294 km (183 mi) S from epicenter |
Tabuk Cordillera, The Philippines. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, Taiwan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Vigan Ilocos, The Philippines. |
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. A 3 magnitude earthquake hit 17 mins later 33 km (20 mi) east-southeast of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit 7 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
7 hrs earlier Apr 23, 2024 01:39PM (Manila Time) | 97 km (60 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Apr 23, 2024 08:55PM (Manila Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
17 mins later Apr 23, 2024 09:12PM (Manila Time) | 33 km (20 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
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 February 7th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 183 km (114 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2022.
In total, 44 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 20 km (12 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/05/24 13:08 (). 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 us6000mt6s
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240423_0000133
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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