In the night of Saturday June 8th, 2024, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit under land 173 kilometer from Jayapura in Indonesia. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 1.6 million people.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 173 kilometer (107 mi) west-southwest of Jayapura in Papua. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 38 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
Date and Time: | Jun 8, 2024 01:31 (Jayapura Time) - Jun 7, 2024 16:31 Universal Time. |
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Location: | 173 km WSW of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°59'30"S 139°13'34"E. |
Map: | ![]() Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 14 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.083 . |
Depth: | 38 km (24 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
Max. Intensity: | VI
Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude 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 1.6 million people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 1.6 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 6,150 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 1.4 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 1.6 million people were exposed to shaking in Indonesia , with level V (moderate shaking, very light damage) as the highest recorded. Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Papua New Guinea too.
People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
---|---|---|---|
0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
64,970 | II |
Very weak | None |
1,416,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
100,900 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
6,150 | 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 Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Abepura in Papua, Indonesia. Abepura is located 162 kilometer (101 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Abepura is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
Overview of nearby places
Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
---|---|---|
162 km (101 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Abepura Papua, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
173 km (107 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Jayapura Papua, Indonesia. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. 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.
![](https://www.codaso.net/earthquakes/img/shakemap/958410.png)
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was prefaced by 2 smaller foreshocks. A 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
---|---|---|---|
Foreshock | M 4.6 |
3 days earlier Jun 6, 2024 22:33 (Jayapura Time) | 99 km (61 mi) W from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Jun 7, 2024 20:38 (Jayapura Time) | 42 km (26 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
Main Shock | M 4.6 |
Jun 9, 2024 20:16 (Jayapura 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 May 21st, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 144 km (89 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2015.
In total, 57 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 2 months.
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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
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 38 km (24 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/06/24 19:08 (). 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.