Shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Samoa Islands region
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit the Samoa Islands / Tonga region at 16:06 UTC on March 17, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The USGS initially reported it as M5.8. EMSC still reports it as M5.8 at a depth of 9 km (5.6 miles).
The epicenter was located 177 km (110 miles) E oh Hihifo, Tonga and 239 km (149 miles) SW of Tafuna, American Samoa.
There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).
The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and concrete/cinder block masonry construction.
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
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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