Around noon of Monday November 18th, 2024, a shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 141 kilometer from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Another country near the epicenter is Guam.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 140 kilometers (87 mi) off the coast of Northern Mariana Islands, 141 kilometer east of Saipan. 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 18, 2024 12:18 (Saipan Time) - Nov 18, 2024 02:18 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 141 km east of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Coordinates 15°2'20"N 147°3'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 44 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.086 . |
| 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
Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Saipan in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Saipan is located 141 kilometer (88 mi) east of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 141 km (88 mi) W from epicenter |
Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
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.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 16th, 2024, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 236 km (147 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on August 28th, 2018.
In total, 50 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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.
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 5.1. 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 21/11/24 01:18 (). 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 us7000nsce
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241118_0000034
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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