A shallow M4.0 earthquake struck under land 4 miles from Ontario in The United States deep in the night of Sunday October 6th, 2024. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Another nearby country is Mexico.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 4 miles (7 km) south-east of Ontario in California. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 3 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Oct 6, 2024 03:51AM (Los Angeles Time) - Oct 6, 2024 10:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 4 mi SE of Ontario, California, The United States. Coordinates 34°1'25"N 117°35'32"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.0 Detected by 249 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.2 . |
| Depth: | 3 mi (5 km) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Potential tsunami risk The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Potential tsunami risk
There is a potential tsunami risk in the aftermath of this earthquake, immediately evacuate to higher grounds away from coastal areas and monitor advice from local authorities. The US Geographic Survey organization has indicated a potential risk for tsunami's following this earthquake.
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 4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 3 mi (5 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Nearby towns and cities
The United States and Mexico are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ontario in California, The United States. Ontario is located 4 miles (7 km) south-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Ontario is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
Major cities near this earthquake: Los Angeles is located 37 mi to the west and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Ontario is located 4 mi to the northwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Rancho Cucamonga is located 6 mi to the north and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 mi (7 km) NW from epicenter |
Ontario California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 4 mi (7 km) SSE from epicenter |
Eastvale California, The United States. |
V
Moderate |
| 5 mi (8 km) ESE from epicenter |
Jurupa Valley California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 6 mi (9 km) W from epicenter |
Chino California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 6 mi (9 km) N from epicenter |
Rancho Cucamonga California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 6 mi (10 km) E from epicenter |
Glen Avon California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 6 mi (10 km) NNW from epicenter |
Upland California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 7 mi (11 km) WNW from epicenter |
Montclair California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 7 mi (11 km) SSE from epicenter |
Norco California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 9 mi (14 km) NW from epicenter |
Claremont California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 9 mi (15 km) WNW from epicenter |
Pomona California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 10 mi (16 km) ENE from epicenter |
Fontana California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 10 mi (16 km) WSW from epicenter |
Chino Hills California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 11 mi (17 km) S from epicenter |
Corona California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 11 mi (17 km) E from epicenter |
Rubidoux California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 11 mi (18 km) WNW from epicenter |
La Verne California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 12 mi (19 km) ENE from epicenter |
Bloomington California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 12 mi (20 km) ESE from epicenter |
Riverside California, The United States. |
IV
Light |
| 12 mi (20 km) W from epicenter |
Diamond Bar California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 14 mi (22 km) ENE from epicenter |
Rialto California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 14 mi (22 km) WNW from epicenter |
San Dimas California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 16 mi (25 km) SW from epicenter |
Yorba Linda California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 16 mi (25 km) W from epicenter |
Walnut California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 16 mi (26 km) ENE from epicenter |
Colton California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 17 mi (28 km) WNW from epicenter |
Covina California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 17 mi (28 km) WNW from epicenter |
Glendora California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 18 mi (29 km) W from epicenter |
Rowland Heights California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 18 mi (29 km) ENE from epicenter |
San Bernardino California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 19 mi (31 km) SW from epicenter |
Placentia California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 20 mi (32 km) WNW from epicenter |
Azusa California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 20 mi (32 km) W from epicenter |
West Covina California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 21 mi (34 km) WSW from epicenter |
La Habra California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 22 mi (35 km) WSW from epicenter |
Fullerton California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 22 mi (35 km) ESE from epicenter |
Moreno Valley California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 22 mi (35 km) W from epicenter |
Baldwin Park California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 22 mi (36 km) SW from epicenter |
Orange California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 22 mi (36 km) SW from epicenter |
Anaheim California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 24 mi (38 km) SW from epicenter |
Tustin California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 24 mi (38 km) E from epicenter |
Redlands California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 25 mi (40 km) SW from epicenter |
Santa Ana California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 25 mi (40 km) W from epicenter |
El Monte California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 25 mi (41 km) W from epicenter |
Whittier California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 25 mi (41 km) WSW from epicenter |
Buena Park California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 27 mi (43 km) SW from epicenter |
Garden Grove California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 28 mi (45 km) SSW from epicenter |
Irvine California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 29 mi (47 km) WSW from epicenter |
Norwalk California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 33 mi (53 km) WNW from epicenter |
Pasadena California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 34 mi (55 km) SW from epicenter |
Huntington Beach California, The United States. |
III
Weak |
| 37 mi (60 km) W from epicenter |
Los Angeles California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 39 mi (62 km) WNW from epicenter |
Glendale California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 39 mi (62 km) WSW from epicenter |
Long Beach California, The United States. |
II
Weak |
| 178 km (111 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tijuana Baja California, Mexico. |
I
Not felt |
| 176 mi (284 km) NNE from epicenter |
Pahrump Nevada, The United States. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is V. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. At a distance of 14 mi (23 km) south-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 2.5
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 2.5 |
Oct 4, 2024 01:18PM (Los Angeles Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 days later Oct 6, 2024 04:04AM (Los Angeles Time) | 14 mi (23 km) SSW 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.
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).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 12th, 2024, when a 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 70 mi (113 km) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on July 6th, 2019.
In total, 254 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 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 14 days.
Sources
Last updated 18/10/24 00:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake ci40752807
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241006_0000089
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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