Under land 58 miles from Abilene in The United States, an unusually powerful M5.1 earthquake occurred in the morning of Friday July 26th, 2024. Roughly 1.6 million people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 58 miles (94 km) west-northwest of Abilene in Texas. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 2 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
Date and Time: | Jul 26, 2024 09:28AM (Chicago Time) - Jul 26, 2024 14:28 Universal Time. |
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Location: | 58 mi WNW of Abilene, Texas, The United States. Coordinates 32°45'58"N 100°39'32"W. |
Map: | ![]() Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 34 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 . |
Depth: | 2 mi (3 km) A very 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 69% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 98% 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
This earthquake may have been felt by around 1.6 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.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 110 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 0.8 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected.
People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
---|---|---|---|
0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
0 | II |
Very weak | None |
830,400 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
751,800 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
15,900 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
110 | 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 United States . Located 58 miles (94 km) west-northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Abilene (Texas, The United States) is the nearest significant population center. Abilene experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly IV. That level implies light shaking and likely no damage.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Lubbock is located 89 mi to the northwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Abilene is located 58 mi to the east-southeast and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Midland is located 98 mi to the west-southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.
Overview of nearby places
Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
---|---|---|
58 mi (94 km) ESE from epicenter |
Abilene Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
60 mi (96 km) SW from epicenter |
Big Spring Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
89 mi (143 km) NW from epicenter |
Lubbock Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
91 mi (146 km) S from epicenter |
San Angelo Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
98 mi (158 km) WSW from epicenter |
Midland Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
115 mi (185 km) NNW from epicenter |
Plainview Texas, The United States. |
IV
Light |
118 mi (190 km) WSW from epicenter |
Odessa Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
122 mi (196 km) SE from epicenter |
Brownwood Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
125 mi (201 km) WSW from epicenter |
West Odessa Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
144 mi (232 km) W from epicenter |
Hobbs New Mexico, The United States. |
|
148 mi (238 km) ENE from epicenter |
Wichita Falls Texas, The United States. |
III
Weak |
148 mi (238 km) ESE from epicenter |
Stephenville Texas, The United States. |
|
150 mi (242 km) NNE from epicenter |
Altus Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
167 mi (268 km) E from epicenter |
Weatherford Texas, The United States. |
|
173 mi (279 km) NW from epicenter |
Hereford Texas, The United States. |
|
182 mi (293 km) NE from epicenter |
Lawton Oklahoma, The United States. |
|
183 mi (294 km) NNW from epicenter |
Amarillo Texas, The United States. |
|
185 mi (298 km) NW from epicenter |
Clovis New Mexico, The United States. |
|
186 mi (299 km) E from epicenter |
Benbrook Texas, The United States. |
|
186 mi (299 km) E from epicenter |
White Settlement Texas, The United States. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is VI.
![](https://www.codaso.net/earthquakes/img/shakemap/972427.png)
11 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 11 smaller aftershocks. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 2.6 mi (4 km) southwest of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 8 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
---|---|---|---|
Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier Jul 24, 2024 11:48AM (Chicago Time) | 3 mi (5 km) W from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 3.4 |
2 days earlier Jul 24, 2024 03:45PM (Chicago Time) | 0.6 mi (0.9 km) WNW from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Jul 24, 2024 07:20PM (Chicago Time) | 1.2 mi (1.9 km) W from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier Jul 24, 2024 08:22PM (Chicago Time) | 1 mi (1.6 km) ESE from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 4.0 |
1 day earlier Jul 24, 2024 09:57PM (Chicago Time) | 1.4 mi (2.3 km) W from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 2.7 |
1 day earlier Jul 24, 2024 10:14PM (Chicago Time) | 0.9 mi (1.4 km) S from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier Jul 24, 2024 11:15PM (Chicago Time) | 1.1 mi (1.7 km) S from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 2.6 |
23 hrs earlier Jul 25, 2024 10:29AM (Chicago Time) | 1.2 mi (2 km) WNW from Main Shock. |
Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Jul 26, 2024 09:28AM (Chicago Time) | - |
Aftershock | M 3.0 |
4 mins later Jul 26, 2024 09:32AM (Chicago Time) | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) SW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.6 |
6 mins later Jul 26, 2024 09:34AM (Chicago Time) | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) W from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 3.3 |
12 mins later Jul 26, 2024 09:40AM (Chicago Time) | 0.2 mi (0.3 km) N from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.7 |
1 hr later Jul 26, 2024 10:44AM (Chicago Time) | 0.3 mi (0.5 km) SSW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 hrs later Jul 26, 2024 11:11AM (Chicago Time) | 0.9 mi (1.4 km) SSW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.9 |
5 hrs later Jul 26, 2024 02:40PM (Chicago Time) | 2.2 mi (4 km) W from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.6 |
20 hrs later Jul 27, 2024 05:24AM (Chicago Time) | 2.9 mi (5 km) WNW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 day later Jul 27, 2024 09:40AM (Chicago Time) | 0.4 mi (0.6 km) ESE from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 4.5 |
1 day later Jul 27, 2024 04:08PM (Chicago Time) | 2.6 mi (4 km) SW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.8 |
1 day later Jul 27, 2024 04:12PM (Chicago Time) | 2.4 mi (4 km) WNW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 2.9 |
1 day later Jul 27, 2024 06:08PM (Chicago Time) | 1.9 mi (3 km) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
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 December 16th, 2022, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 95 mi (153 km) further west-southwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 1 earthquake 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 10 years.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 2 mi (3 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 07/09/24 04:08 (). 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.