M6.5 Earthquake 271 km WNW of Port McNeill, Canada — September 15, 2024
2024-09-15 22:22:48 UTC (2024-09-15) · approx. 1:22 PM UTC-9 local
Felt by 97 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.5 (strong).
On September 15, 2024 at 22:22 UTC, a magnitude 6.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 271 km WNW of Port McNeill, Canada, at a depth of 3.8 km and coordinates 51.6088°, -130.6121°. The earthquake was reported felt by 97 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.5 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 172 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 697, making it a moderate-impact event.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 18 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 97 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 2,452 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,673 |
Earthquake Details
-130.6121°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Port McNeill, Canada?
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 271 km WNW of Port McNeill, Canada on September 15, 2024 at 22:22 UTC had a depth of 3.8 km. It was felt by 97 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.5 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 51.6088°, -130.6121°, which is 271 km WNW of Port McNeill, Canada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.5 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ne51). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, September 15, 2024). M6.5 Earthquake 271 km WNW of Port McNeill, Canada — September 15, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ne51/