Strong and shallow M6.3 earthquake hits Northern Mariana Islands
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit the Northern Mariana Islands at 11:36 UTC on September 16, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 32.9 km (20.4 miles) EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Image credit: TW/SAM, ESRI
The epicenter was located 264.7 km (164.5 miles) NE of Saipan and 295.3 km (183.5 miles) NE of San Jose Village, Northern Mariana Islands.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
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 a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unknown/miscellaneous types of construction.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M 6.3 – 263 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands – USGS – September 16, 2024
2 M 6.3 – MARIANA ISLANDS REGION – EMSC – September 16, 2024
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.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.