Strong M6.3 Earthquake struck on Monday Evening in the North Pacific Ocean 266km from Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 16th, 2024. Last updated September 20th, 2024.

A strong Magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 266 kilometer from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands in the evening of Monday September 16th, 2024. Such earthquakes in regions like this usually have a minimal impact on people and the economy.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 261 kilometers (162 mi) off the coast of Northern Mariana Islands, 266 kilometer north-east of Saipan. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 31 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Sep 16, 2024 21:36 (Saipan Time) - Sep 16, 2024 11:36 Universal Time.
Location:	266 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Coordinates 17°9'36"N 147°11'56"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.3 Detected by 27 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.57 .
Depth:	31 km (19 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually 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.

Not many people felt this earthquake

All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Northern Mariana Islands .

MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
I	Not noticable	None
II	Very weak	None
III	Weak	Probably none
IV	Light	Likely none
V	Moderate	Very light
VI	Strong	Light
VII	Very Strong	Moderate
VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
IX	Violent	Heavy
X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Northern Mariana Islands . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Saipan in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan is located 266 kilometer (165 mi) north-east of the epicenter.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place
266 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter	Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.

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 IV.

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 Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Tokyo, Tokio, Japan: 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 are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 5th, 2024, when a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit 291 km (181 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2016.

In total, 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.3 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 3 years.

Low tsunami risk

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.

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 6.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 31 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 20/09/24 00:08 (). 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.