Strong M6.1 AFTERSHOCK struck on Monday Afternoon in the South Pacific Ocean 152km from Nuku‘alofa (Tonga).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 25th, 2024. Last updated September 16th, 2024.

A strong M6.1 aftershock struck in the South Pacific Ocean 152 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga in the early afternoon of Monday August 26th, 2024. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 110 thousand people.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 148 kilometers (92 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 152 kilometer north of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 107 km.

Date and Time:	Aug 26, 2024 12:30PM (Tongatapu Time) - Aug 25, 2024 23:30 Universal Time.
Location:	152 km north of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 19°47'52"S 174°55'6"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.1 Detected by 80 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 .
Depth:	107 km (66 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
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.

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 110 thousand people exposed to shaking

An estimated 110 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

An estimated 27,280 people were exposed to level V. At this level, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 80 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Tonga .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
0	II	Very weak	None
0	III	Weak	Probably none
80,260	IV	Light	Likely none
27,280	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 Tonga . Located 152 kilometer (94 mi) north of the epicenter of this earthquake, Nuku‘alofa (Tongatapu, Tonga) is the nearest significant population center. Nuku‘alofa experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly V. That level implies moderate shaking and very light damage.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
152 km (94 mi) S from epicenter	Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga.	V Moderate

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 V.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Tonga.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Muʿa, Tongatapu, Tonga: 1 person.

This is likely an aftershock

Approximately 2 mins before this earthquake hit, a larger 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck 14 km (9 mi) west-northwest of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 6.1 earthquake as an aftershock.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Main Shock	M 6.9	Aug 26, 2024 12:29PM (Tongatapu Time)	-
Aftershock This Earthquake	M 6.1	2 mins later Aug 26, 2024 12:30PM (Tongatapu Time)	14 km (9 mi) ESE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 5.3	9 mins later Aug 26, 2024 12:37PM (Tongatapu Time)	22 km (14 mi) WSW 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.

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, 16 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.1 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 8 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 6.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 107 km (66 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 16/09/24 01:38 (). 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.