In the late afternoon of Tuesday November 4th, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 221 kilometer from Dededo Village, Guam. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 170 thousand people.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 193 kilometers (120 mi) off the coast of Guam, 221 kilometer southwest of Dededo Village in Dededo. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 89 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 4, 2025 17:37 (Guam Time) - Nov 4, 2025 07:37 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 221 km SW of Dededo Village, Dededo, Guam. Coordinates 12°24'12"N 143°9'16"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.9 Detected by 42 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 . |
| Depth: | 89 km (55 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light 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 170 thousand people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 170 thousand people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
An estimated 173,600 people were exposed to level III. At this level, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Guam , around 170 thousand people, with impact levels up to III (weak shaking, probably no damage).
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 0 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 173,600 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | 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 Guam . Hagåtña in Hagatna, Guam is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 210 kilometer (130 mi) southwest of Hagåtña. Hagåtña experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 210 km (130 mi) NE from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 210 km (130 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 213 km (132 mi) NE from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 214 km (133 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 214 km (133 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 221 km (137 mi) NE from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 226 km (140 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
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.
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).This is an unusually powerful earthquake
Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 10th, 2025, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 276 km (171 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 6 earthquake struck on February 13th, 2022.
In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.9 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 5 years.
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 5.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 89 km (55 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/12/25 00:58 (). 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 us6000rlcd
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251104_0000161
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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