A significant M5.1 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 236 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga in the early morning of Friday June 14th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 232 kilometers (144 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 236 kilometer southwest of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 125 km.
| Date and Time: | Jun 14, 2024 06:12AM (Tongatapu Time) - Jun 13, 2024 17:12 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 236 km SW of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 22°45'49"S 176°40'12"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 13 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.086 . |
| Depth: | 125 km (77 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Tonga . Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 236 kilometer (147 mi) southwest of Nuku‘alofa.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 236 km (147 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Roughly 13 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.5 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
13 hrs earlier Jun 13, 2024 05:40PM (Tongatapu Time) | 42 km (26 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Jun 14, 2024 06:12AM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 April 28th, 2024, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 103 km (64 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.
In total, 212 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 17 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 125 km (77 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 01/07/24 19:38 (). 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 us7000ms7h
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240613_0000162
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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