A significant M5.9 earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 223 kilometer from Dededo Village, Guam in the late afternoon of Tuesday November 4th, 2025. Around 170 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 196 kilometers (122 mi) off the coast of Guam, 223 kilometer southwest of Dededo Village in Dededo. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 66 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 4, 2025 17:37 (Guam Time) - Nov 4, 2025 07:37 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 223 km SW of Dededo Village, Dededo, Guam. Coordinates 12°23'10"N 143°8'11"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: | 66 km (41 mi) A quite shallow 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
An estimated 170 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 173,600 people are expected to be exposed to this level.
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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Guam Government House in Hagatna, Guam. Guam Government House is located 212 kilometer (132 mi) southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Guam Government House is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 212 km (132 mi) NE from epicenter |
Guam Government House Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 213 km (132 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hagåtña Hagatna, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 216 km (134 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tamuning Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 216 km (134 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Village Tamuning, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 216 km (134 mi) NE from epicenter |
Mangilao Village Mangilao, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 223 km (139 mi) NE from epicenter |
Dededo Village Dededo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
| 229 km (142 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yigo Village Yigo, Guam. |
III
Weak |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is III.
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).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 278 km (173 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 66 km (41 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/11/25 23:58 (). 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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