In the early afternoon of Monday August 26th, 2024, a significant Magnitude 5.3 aftershock hit in the South Pacific Ocean 144 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 136 kilometers (84 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 144 kilometer north of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 99 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 26, 2024 12:37PM (Tongatapu Time) - Aug 25, 2024 23:37 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 144 km north of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 19°50'43"S 175°13'53"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 142 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.049 . |
| Depth: | 99 km (62 mi) An intermediate 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 may have been felt in Tonga . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga. Nuku‘alofa is located 144 kilometer (89 mi) north of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 144 km (89 mi) S from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-6.9 earthquake that struck 9 mins earlier. That main earthquake hit 22 km (14 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter of this MAG-5.3 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 6.9 |
Aug 26, 2024 12:29PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 6.1 |
2 mins later Aug 26, 2024 12:30PM (Tongatapu Time) | 14 km (9 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
9 mins later Aug 26, 2024 12:37PM (Tongatapu Time) | 22 km (14 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
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. In total, 195 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 19 days.
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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 99 km (62 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/09/24 02:28 (). 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 us7000n9dy
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240825_0000227
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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