Reviewed by USGSNorthern Mariana Islands24y ago
M5.4 earthquake in Rota region, Northern Mariana Islands
Tuesday, May 21, 2002, 23:45:36 UTC · 14.040°N, 145.006°E
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck in Rota region, Northern Mariana Islands on Tuesday, May 21, 2002, 23:45:36 UTC, at a depth of 145.9 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.1 on April 26, 2002.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mwb
- Depth
- 146 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
2 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
109 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Mariana plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
146 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
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 75 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 463 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.832 km S of Inarajan Village, GuamAugust 8, 1993 · 120 km S of this epicenter
- 7.120 km SSW of Merizo Village, GuamApril 26, 2002 · 114 km S of this epicenter
- 7.0176 km ESE of San Jose Village, Northern Mariana IslandsMay 18, 1913 · 226 km E of this epicenter
- 7.098 km SSE of Inarajan Village, GuamDecember 9, 1909 · 182 km S of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NNE of Yigo Village, GuamOctober 26, 1912 · 25 km S of this epicenter
- 7.069 km SSE of Inarajan Village, GuamOctober 12, 2001 · 151 km S of this epicenter
- 6.549 km N of Yigo Village, GuamApril 23, 1997 · 13 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.5112 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana IslandsJune 6, 1993 · 262 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 13 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1993M7.8
Tuman Bay, Apra Harbor
8 Aug 1993 · 120 km away · intensity IX
$250 million damagetsunami
- 1849M7.5
Guam
25 Jan 1849 · 184 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1909M8.0
Guam
9 Dec 1909 · 171 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1892M7.5
Guam
16 May 1892 · 184 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 2001M7.0
Guam
12 Oct 2001 · 151 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1825
Ladrones Island
Apr 1825 · 184 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.