Deep in the night of Wednesday September 18th, 2024, an unusually powerful Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean 83 kilometer from Tôlanaro, Madagascar.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Indian Ocean, 84 kilometers (52 mi) off the coast of Madagascar, 83 kilometer south-southeast of Tôlanaro in Anosy. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 18, 2024 03:25 (Antananarivo Time) - Sep 18, 2024 00:25 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 83 km SSE of Tôlanaro, Anosy, Madagascar. Coordinates 25°43'47"S 47°16'15"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 65 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.071 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 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 may have been felt in Madagascar . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tôlanaro in Anosy, Madagascar. Tôlanaro is located 83 kilometer (52 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 83 km (52 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tôlanaro Anosy, Madagascar. |
| 118 km (73 mi) NW from epicenter |
Amboasary Anosy, Madagascar. |
| 134 km (83 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ambovombe Androy, Madagascar. |
| 186 km (116 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Tsiombe Androy, Madagascar. |
| 232 km (144 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Beloha Androy, Madagascar. |
| 243 km (151 mi) N from epicenter |
Vohipaho Atsimo-Atsinanana, Madagascar. |
| 267 km (166 mi) N from epicenter |
Vangaindrano Atsimo-Atsinanana, Madagascar. |
| 279 km (173 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ampanihy Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar. |
Shaking reported by 6 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 6 people have reported shaking in one place in Madagascar.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Taolanaro, Toliary, Madagascar: 6 people.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
No earthquake of this strength has struck this region for a long time. Our data goes back 10 years, and no earthquakes measuring a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been detected within 300 km (186 mi) of this epicenter.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 21/09/24 00:18 (). 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 us6000nstp
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240918_0000006
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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