Strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Gulf of Aden, Yemen
Image credit: USGS
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit the Gulf of Aden, Yemen at 13:09 UTC on July 15, 2018. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting Mw6.0 at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). The quake was preceded by M5.4 (USGS / M5.9 EMSC) at 01:57 UTC and M4.4 (USGS/EMSC) at 12:59 UTC today.
According to the USGS, the epicenter was located 160 km (99.4 miles) SSW of Sayḩūt (population 0), Yemen and 225 km (139.8 miles) NNE of Bereeda (population 11 262), Somalia.
There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).
Some 22 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking and 3 339 000 light.
This earthquake can have a low humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability.
The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building type is low-rise nonductile concrete frame with infill construction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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