In the Philippine Sea 74 kilometer from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the late afternoon of Monday April 7th, 2025. Another country near the epicenter is Guam.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 38 kilometers (23 mi) off the coast of Northern Mariana Islands, 74 kilometer south-southwest 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: | Apr 7, 2025 17:24 (Saipan Time) - Apr 7, 2025 07:24 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 74 km SSW of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. Coordinates 14°34'25"N 145°34'18"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 394 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.029 . |
| 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 74 kilometer (46 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 74 km (46 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Saipan Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. |
| 137 km (85 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
| 142 km (88 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
| 148 km (92 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
| 148 km (92 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
| 151 km (94 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
| 151 km (94 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Northern Mariana Islands.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: 1 person.
- Gualo Rai, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 March 1st, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 122 km (76 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on August 28th, 2018.
In total, 44 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 3 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 5.3. 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 28/04/25 01:38 (). 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 us6000q4hk
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250407_0000050
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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