In the evening of Saturday November 30th, 2024, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 261 kilometer from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 255 kilometers (158 mi) off the coast of Northern Mariana Islands, 261 kilometer north of Saipan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 194 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 30, 2024 20:33 (Saipan Time) - Nov 30, 2024 10:33 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 261 km north of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Coordinates 17°33'26"N 145°49'57"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 516 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.025 . |
| Depth: | 194 km (121 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Northern Mariana Islands . Located 261 kilometer (162 mi) north of the epicenter of this earthquake, Saipan (Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands) is the nearest significant population center.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 261 km (162 mi) S from epicenter |
Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. |
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
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 November 11th, 2024, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 295 km (184 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck on July 29th, 2016.
In total, 77 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.
Tsunami very unlikely
For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. 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 | 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. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 194 km (121 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/12/24 00:48 (). 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 us7000nv43
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241130_0000125
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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