A significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck in the Maluku Sea 227 kilometer from Ternate, Indonesia in the late afternoon of Friday November 22nd, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Maluku Sea, right off the coast of Indonesia (12 mi offshore), 227 kilometer north-northeast of Ternate in North Maluku. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 74 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 22, 2024 16:51 (Jayapura Time) - Nov 22, 2024 07:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 227 km NNE of Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia. Coordinates 2°38'21"N 128°15'23"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 191 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 . |
| Depth: | 74 km (46 mi) An intermediate 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Indonesia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Sofifi in North Maluku, Indonesia. Sofifi is located 225 kilometer (140 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 225 km (140 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Sofifi North Maluku, Indonesia. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ternate North Maluku, Indonesia. |
Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. At a distance of 48 km (30 mi) south-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 21 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 4.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Nov 22, 2024 16:51 (Jayapura Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
21 hrs later Nov 23, 2024 13:58 (Jayapura Time) | 48 km (30 mi) SSW 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 August 26th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 268 km (166 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on November 14th, 2019.
In total, 129 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 28 days.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 74 km (46 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 23/11/24 08:08 (). 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 us6000p6y6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241122_0000061
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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