M5.5 Earthquake in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands — November 11, 2024
2024-11-11 10:16:53 UTC (2024-11-11) · approx. 8:16 PM UTC+10 local
Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.0 (moderate).
On November 11, 2024 at 10:16 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands, at a depth of 8.0 km and coordinates 20.1687°, 145.7964°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 130 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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
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 | 7 |
Earthquake Details
145.7964°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands on November 11, 2024 at 10:16 UTC had a depth of 8.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 20.1687°, 145.7964°, which is in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000nr4w). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, November 11, 2024). M5.5 Earthquake in the Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands — November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000nr4w/