Strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake hit off the coast of Yemen

A strong and shallow earthquake registered as M6.0 struck off the coast of Yemen (Owen Fracture Zone region, Arabian Sea) on July 19, 2014, at 14:14 UTC. USGS is reporting depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is also reporting M6.0 at depth of 10 km.

Epicenter was located 396 km (246 miles) ESE of Tamrida, Yemen, 692 km (430 miles) SSE of Salalah, Oman, and 708 km (440 miles) E of Bereeda, Somalia.

USGS issued green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Owen Fracture Zone

The Owen Fracture Zone is a transform fault which runs along the eastern boundary of the Arabian Plate, separating it from the Indo-Australian Plate for most of its length, and from the African Plate for a much shorter distance.

It extends from the Carlsberg Ridge in the south, meets the Sheba Rift segment of the Aden Ridge, and then continues northeastward across the northwest Indian Ocean until it meets the convergence zone in the Iran-Pakistan border region where the continental crust of the Arabian Plate is colliding with the continental crust of the Eurasian Plate.

In some usages, the name Owen Transform Fault is used to denote the short section between the end of the Aden-Sheba ridge and the Carlsberg Ridge.

Additionally, this area has been called the Aden-Owen-Carlsberg Triple Junction, although the Carlsberg Ridge is offset from the point where the Owen Fracture Zone/Fault intersects the Sheba segment of the Aden Ridge. (Wiki)

Featured image: USGS