In the Coral Sea 276 kilometer from Port-Vila, Vanuatu, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.4 aftershock occurred in the evening of Wednesday May 8th, 2024. Roughly 180 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Coral Sea, right off the coast of Vanuatu, 276 kilometer 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 10:06PM (Efate Time) - May 8, 2024 11:06 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 276 km north of Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu. Coordinates 15°15'37"S 168°7'17"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 60 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | VII
Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 180 thousand people exposed to shaking
An estimated 180 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.
Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 1,600 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 130 thousand) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Vanuatu .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 230 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 135,000 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 31,240 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 11,600 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 1,600 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
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 276 kilometer (171 mi) north of Port-Vila.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 276 km (171 mi) S from epicenter |
Port-Vila Shefa, Vanuatu. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 3 hrs before this earthquake hit, a larger 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck 19 km (12 mi) northwest of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.4 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 This Earthquake |
M 5.4 |
3 hrs later May 8, 2024 10:06PM (Efate Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | 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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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, 126 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 29 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4. 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 11:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mx7c
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240508_0000111
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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