In the early morning of Tuesday August 20th, 2024, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit 50 miles from Pakistan. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. Other nearby countries are India and Afghanistan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake struck 50 miles (81 km) from Pakistan The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 23 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Aug 20, 2024 06:45 (Kolkata Time) - Aug 20, 2024 01:15 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 10 km SW of Bāramūla, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Coordinates 34°8'47"N 74°15'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 202 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.04 . |
| Depth: | 23 km (14 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
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. India , Pakistan and Afghanistan are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Bāramūla in Jammu and Kashmir, India is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 10 kilometer (6 mi) southwest of Bāramūla.
Major cities near this earthquake: Lahore is located 288 km to the south. Srinagar is located 50 km to the east. Rawalpindi is located 128 km to the west-southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 10 km (6 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bāramūla Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 25 km (16 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sopur Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 42 km (26 mi) E from epicenter |
Soyībug Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 45 km (28 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Pūnch Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 46 km (29 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bandipura Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 48 km (30 mi) E from epicenter |
Gāndarbal Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 50 km (31 mi) E from epicenter |
Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 56 km (35 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 66 km (41 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Pulwama Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 77 km (48 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Muzaffarābād Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kotli Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 82 km (51 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kamra Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 85 km (53 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Murree Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) S from epicenter |
Rajaori Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 87 km (54 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bijbehara Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 89 km (55 mi) SE from epicenter |
Kulgam Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 94 km (58 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Anantnag Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 97 km (60 mi) W from epicenter |
Abbottabad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) W from epicenter |
Mansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 102 km (63 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kahuta Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 102 km (63 mi) W from epicenter |
Havelian Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) SSW from epicenter |
New Mirpur Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 122 km (76 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Islamabad Islamabad, Pakistan. |
| 123 km (76 mi) W from epicenter |
Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) W from epicenter |
Khalabat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Battagram Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Rawalpindi Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 131 km (81 mi) S from epicenter |
Bhimber Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. |
| 133 km (83 mi) SW from epicenter |
Gujar Khan Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Jhelum Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kharian Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Udhampur Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 163 km (101 mi) S from epicenter |
Lala Musa Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) W from epicenter |
Swabi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Jammu Jammu and Kashmir, India. |
| 167 km (104 mi) S from epicenter |
Jalalpur Jattan Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 176 km (109 mi) S from epicenter |
Gujrat Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Attock City Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 183 km (114 mi) W from epicenter |
Tordher Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
Sialkot Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) SW from epicenter |
Chakwal Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mandi Bahauddin Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Mingora Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) S from epicenter |
Wazirabad Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 204 km (127 mi) W from epicenter |
Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) S from epicenter |
Gujranwala Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) W from epicenter |
Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SE from epicenter |
Chamba Himachal Pradesh, India. |
| 254 km (158 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Padam Ladakh, India. |
| 272 km (169 mi) S from epicenter |
Shekhupura Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Sargodha Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Amritsar Punjab, India. |
| 288 km (179 mi) S from epicenter |
Lahore Punjab, Pakistan. |
| 297 km (185 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Asadābād Kunar, Afghanistan. |
Shaking reported by 10 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 10 people have reported shaking in 4 places, all within India.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Baramula, Jammu and Kashmir, India: 6 people.
- Srīnagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India: 2 people.
- Handwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India: 1 person.
- Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, India: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 7 mins later 4 km (2.4 mi) east of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
2 days earlier Aug 18, 2024 03:03 (Kolkata Time) | 63 km (39 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Aug 20, 2024 06:45 (Kolkata Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
7 mins later Aug 20, 2024 06:52 (Kolkata Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
2 days later Aug 21, 2024 22:22 (Kolkata Time) | 17 km (11 mi) WNW 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.
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).Earthquakes like this are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 13th, 2023, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 190 km (118 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck on December 30th, 2019.
In total, 9 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 year.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 23 km (14 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/09/24 04:48 (). 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 us7000n823
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240820_0000019
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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