In the morning of Monday September 9th, 2024, a significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit under land 100 kilometer from Wewak in Papua New Guinea.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Papua New Guinea, 100 kilometer (62 mi) southwest of Wewak in East Sepik. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 62 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 9, 2024 09:15 (Port Moresby Time) - Sep 8, 2024 23:15 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 100 km SW of Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Coordinates 4°9'20"S 142°58'11"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 85 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 62 km (38 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Papua New Guinea . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Wewak in East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. Wewak is located 100 kilometer (62 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 100 km (62 mi) NE from epicenter |
Wewak East Sepik, Papua New Guinea. |
| 234 km (145 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mendi Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
| 235 km (146 mi) SE from epicenter |
Mount Hagen Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea. |
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 Papua New Guinea.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
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 September 5th, 2024, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 160 km (100 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on February 25th, 2018.
In total, 57 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 2 months.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 62 km (38 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/09/24 23:28 (). 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 us6000nqja
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240908_0000200
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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