In the afternoon of Tuesday June 11th, 2024, a shallow and significant M5.4 earthquake hit in the Sulu Sea 114 kilometer from Puerto Princesa, The Philippines. Roughly 0.9 million people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Sulu Sea, 90 kilometers (56 mi) off the coast of The Philippines, 114 kilometer east-southeast of Puerto Princesa in Mimaropa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 13 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jun 11, 2024 02:58PM (Manila Time) - Jun 11, 2024 06:58 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 114 km ESE of Puerto Princesa, Mimaropa, The Philippines. Coordinates 9°26'12"N 119°43'56"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 149 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.048 . |
| Depth: | 13 km (8 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
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 0.9 million people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 0.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
An estimated 185,500 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 710 thousand) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of The Philippines .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 2,590 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 711,800 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 185,500 | 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 The Philippines . Roxas in Mimaropa, The Philippines is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 107 kilometer (66 mi) south-southeast of Roxas. The intensity of shaking and damage in Roxas is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 107 km (66 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Roxas Mimaropa, The Philippines. |
III
Weak |
| 114 km (71 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Puerto Princesa Mimaropa, The Philippines. |
IV
Light |
| 147 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Narra Mimaropa, The Philippines. |
III
Weak |
| 295 km (183 mi) E from epicenter |
Sipalay Western Visayas, The Philippines. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. 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 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.
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).This is the strongest earthquake in 5 years
Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 7th, 2019, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 300 km (186 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck on December 29th, 2014.
In total, 2 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 5 years.
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 13 km (8 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/06/24 07:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000mrn5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240611_0000064
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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