Reviewed by USGSPhilippines103y ago
M7.2 earthquake 70 km E of Aras-asan, Philippines
Saturday, August 30, 1924, 03:04:59 UTC · 8.982°N, 126.942°E
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 70 km E of Aras-asan, Philippines on Saturday, August 30, 1924, 03:04:59 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M8.1 on April 14, 1924.
- Magnitude
- 7.2
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 15 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
919 kilotons of TNT
That is about 61 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,928 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
3 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
15 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.5 on September 14, 1924. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 30 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11924 Mindanao, Philippines EarthquakeApril 14, 1924 · 276 km S of this epicenter
- 7.774 km ENE of Barcelona, PhilippinesJuly 12, 1911 · 56 km S of this epicenter
- 7.462 km E of Baculin, PhilippinesNovember 11, 1921 · 172 km S of this epicenter
- 7.222 km ESE of Bobon, PhilippinesJanuary 1, 1919 · 246 km S of this epicenter
- 7.270 km ENE of La Paz, PhilippinesApril 25, 1913 · 33 km N of this epicenter
- 7.25 km NW of Kadingilan, PhilippinesMarch 2, 1923 · 272 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.110 km W of Bigaan, PhilippinesJuly 20, 1907 · 111 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 19 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 4 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1870
Mindanao: Davao,Blanco
4 Nov 1870 · 278 km away
4 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1879
Nw Mindanao: Surigao
30 Jun 1879 · 182 km away · intensity X
Extreme damage ($25M+)
- 1924M8.3
E Mindanao: Mati,Suriga
14 Apr 1924 · 280 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1911M7.8
Mindanao: Talacogon,Davao,Butuan
12 Jul 1911 · 103 km away · intensity X
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1871
Camiguin Island: Mambajao,Catarman
20 Feb 1871 · 250 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1885
E Mindanao: Surigao
22 Feb 1885 · 182 km away · intensity VIII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.