A shallow and significant M5.2 aftershock struck under land 293 kilometer from Port-Vila in Vanuatu in the evening of Wednesday May 8th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Vanuatu, 293 kilometer (182 mi) north of Port-Vila in Shefa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 8, 2024 10:51PM (Efate Time) - May 8, 2024 11:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 293 km north of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 15°6'25"S 168°7'49"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (2 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Vanuatu . Port-Vila in Shefa, Vanuatu is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 293 kilometer (182 mi) north of Port-Vila.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 293 km (182 mi) S from epicenter |
Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu. |
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 4 hrs before this earthquake hit, a larger 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck 15 km (9 mi) west-southwest of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.2 earthquake as an aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 6.1 |
May 8, 2024 07:17PM (Efate Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
46 mins later May 8, 2024 08:03PM (Efate Time) | 15 km (10 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs later May 8, 2024 08:53PM (Efate Time) | 6 km (4 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
3 hrs later May 8, 2024 10:04PM (Efate Time) | 10 km (6 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.4 |
3 hrs later May 8, 2024 10:06PM (Efate Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
4 hrs later May 8, 2024 10:51PM (Efate Time) | 15 km (9 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
4 hrs later May 8, 2024 11:45PM (Efate Time) | 5 km (3 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
5 hrs later May 9, 2024 12:37AM (Efate Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
10 hrs later May 9, 2024 05:12AM (Efate Time) | 28 km (17 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
15 hrs later May 9, 2024 10:40AM (Efate Time) | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
18 hrs later May 9, 2024 01:17PM (Efate Time) | 28 km (17 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
19 hrs later May 9, 2024 02:08PM (Efate Time) | 4 km (2.2 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
2 days later May 10, 2024 11:50AM (Efate Time) | 19 km (12 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
2 days later May 10, 2024 12:21PM (Efate Time) | 22 km (14 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 152 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 24 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always 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 on land near a coastal area (2 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/05/24 12:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mx7t
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240508_0000122
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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