In the afternoon of Tuesday November 12th, 2024, a shallow MAG-4.4 earthquake hit under land 72 kilometer from Siliguri in India. Other nearby countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in India, 72 kilometer (45 mi) north of Siliguri in West Bengal. 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: | Nov 12, 2024 14:00 (Kolkata Time) - Nov 12, 2024 08:30 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 72 km north of Siliguri, West Bengal, India. Coordinates 27°20'58"N 88°20'21"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.4 Detected by 30 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very 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 struck within proximity of multiple countries. India , Nepal , Bangladesh , Bhutan and China are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Gangtok in Sikkim, India. Gangtok is located 27 kilometer (17 mi) west of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Siliguri is located 72 km to the south. Dārjiling is located 36 km to the south. Rangpur is located 200 km to the south-southeast.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 27 km (17 mi) E from epicenter |
Gangtok Sikkim, India. |
| 34 km (21 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Kālimpong West Bengal, India. |
| 36 km (22 mi) S from epicenter |
Dārjiling West Bengal, India. |
| 52 km (32 mi) S from epicenter |
Kārsiyāng West Bengal, India. |
| 64 km (40 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ilām Province 1, Nepal. |
| 72 km (45 mi) S from epicenter |
Siliguri West Bengal, India. |
| 72 km (45 mi) S from epicenter |
Bagdogra West Bengal, India. |
| 75 km (47 mi) S from epicenter |
Naksalbāri West Bengal, India. |
| 93 km (58 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bhadrapur Province 1, Nepal. |
| 99 km (62 mi) SE from epicenter |
Goyerkāta West Bengal, India. |
| 100 km (62 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Maināguri West Bengal, India. |
| 101 km (63 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Jalpāiguri West Bengal, India. |
| 105 km (65 mi) S from epicenter |
Thākurganj Bihar, India. |
| 107 km (66 mi) SE from epicenter |
Birpara West Bengal, India. |
| 107 km (66 mi) SE from epicenter |
Dhupgāri West Bengal, India. |
| 108 km (67 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Dhankutā Province 1, Nepal. |
| 112 km (70 mi) W from epicenter |
Khā̃dbāri̇̄ Province 1, Nepal. |
| 115 km (71 mi) S from epicenter |
Panchagarh Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 117 km (73 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Jaigaon West Bengal, India. |
| 118 km (73 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Phuntsholing Chukha, Bhutan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Dharān Province 1, Nepal. |
| 121 km (75 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Hāsimāra West Bengal, India. |
| 121 km (75 mi) S from epicenter |
Islāmpur West Bengal, India. |
| 126 km (78 mi) SE from epicenter |
Fālākāta West Bengal, India. |
| 129 km (80 mi) E from epicenter |
Thimphu Thimphu, Bhutan. |
| 130 km (81 mi) SW from epicenter |
Īṭahari̇̄ Province 1, Nepal. |
| 131 km (81 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bahādurganj Bihar, India. |
| 144 km (89 mi) SW from epicenter |
Inaruwa Province 1, Nepal. |
| 144 km (89 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kishanganj Bihar, India. |
| 145 km (90 mi) SW from epicenter |
Biratnagar Province 1, Nepal. |
| 147 km (91 mi) S from epicenter |
Thākurgaon Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Jogbani Bihar, India. |
| 152 km (94 mi) SE from epicenter |
Alīpur Duār West Bengal, India. |
| 154 km (96 mi) E from epicenter |
Punākha Punakha, Bhutan. |
| 156 km (97 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shahbazpur Bihar, India. |
| 157 km (98 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Arāria Bihar, India. |
| 158 km (98 mi) SW from epicenter |
Forbesganj Bihar, India. |
| 158 km (98 mi) SE from epicenter |
Koch Bihār West Bengal, India. |
| 166 km (103 mi) S from epicenter |
Pīrgaaj Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 174 km (108 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Triyuga Province 1, Nepal. |
| 175 km (109 mi) SE from epicenter |
Dīnhāta West Bengal, India. |
| 180 km (112 mi) E from epicenter |
Tsirang Chirang, Bhutan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Rājbirāj Province 2, Nepal. |
| 183 km (114 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Saidpur Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 191 km (119 mi) S from epicenter |
Kāliyāganj West Bengal, India. |
| 194 km (121 mi) S from epicenter |
Dinājpur Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 194 km (121 mi) S from epicenter |
Rāiganj West Bengal, India. |
| 194 km (121 mi) SE from epicenter |
Lalmonirhat Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 195 km (121 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Purnia Bihar, India. |
| 196 km (122 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Parbatipur Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Rangpur Rangpur Division, Bangladesh. |
| 215 km (134 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Katihar Bihar, India. |
| 218 km (135 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Rikaze Tibet, China. |
| 221 km (137 mi) SE from epicenter |
Dhuburi Assam, India. |
| 244 km (152 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Sāhibganj Jharkhand, India. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Bhāgalpur Bihar, India. |
| 276 km (171 mi) SE from epicenter |
Tura Meghalaya, India. |
| 277 km (172 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Darbhanga Bihar, India. |
| 279 km (173 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Shibganj Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. |
| 293 km (182 mi) W from epicenter |
Madhyapur Thimi Bagmati Province, Nepal. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in one place in India.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Gezing, Sikkim, India: 3 people.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 6th, 2024, when a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 97 km (60 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on May 12th, 2015.
In total, 237 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.4 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 15 days.
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 4.4. 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 17/11/24 00:08 (). 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 us7000nrbv
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241112_0000094
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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