A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 59 kilometer from Nuku‘alofa, Tonga in the afternoon of Tuesday November 19th, 2024. Roughly 90 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 46 kilometers (28 mi) off the coast of Tonga, 59 kilometer west of Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 8 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
Date and Time: | Nov 19, 2024 03:41PM (Tongatapu Time) - Nov 19, 2024 02:41 Universal Time. |
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Location: | 59 km west of Nuku‘alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga. Coordinates 21°11'17"S 175°45'57"W. |
Map: | Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
Magnitude: | MAG 5.6 Detected by 21 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.068 . |
Depth: | 8 km (5 mi) A very shallow depth. |
Max. Intensity: | V
Moderate 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.
Roughly 90 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 90 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Moderate shaking and very light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 450 people. At V, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 80 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Tonga .
People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
---|---|---|---|
0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
0 | II |
Very weak | None |
5,890 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
83,720 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
450 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Tonga . Nuku‘alofa in Tongatapu, Tonga is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 59 kilometer (37 mi) west of Nuku‘alofa. The intensity of shaking and damage in Nuku‘alofa is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).
Overview of nearby places
Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
---|---|---|
59 km (37 mi) E from epicenter |
Nuku‘alofa Tongatapu, Tonga. |
IV
Light |
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 V.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 73 km (46 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
---|---|---|---|
Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.6 |
Nov 19, 2024 03:41PM (Tongatapu Time) | - |
Aftershock | M 5.5 |
1 day later Nov 20, 2024 11:42PM (Tongatapu Time) | 73 km (46 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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.
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 7th, 2024, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 198 km (123 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 15th, 2023.
In total, 80 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 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 5.6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 8 km (5 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/12/24 01:48 (). 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.