A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck under land 194 kilometer from Jayapura in Indonesia in the evening of Thursday November 21st, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Indonesia, 194 kilometer (121 mi) west of Jayapura in Papua. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 30 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 21, 2024 21:12 (Jayapura Time) - Nov 21, 2024 12:12 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 194 km west of Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°19'58"S 138°58'48"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 39 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.092 . |
| Depth: | 30 km (19 mi) A quite 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 may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Abepura in Papua, Indonesia. Abepura is located 186 kilometer (116 mi) west of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 186 km (116 mi) E from epicenter |
Abepura Papua, Indonesia. |
| 194 km (121 mi) E from epicenter |
Jayapura Papua, Indonesia. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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 June 7th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 78 km (49 mi) further south-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2015.
In total, 57 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 30 km (19 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 23/11/24 07:58 (). 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 us6000p6r8
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241121_0000124
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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