The United States Geological Survey
recorded a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake at a depth of 125 km about 2 km
off the northwest coast of the island of Guam, a US possession in the Mariana Islands, slightly after 5.50 am local time on Wednesday 10 May 2017, local time (slightly after 7.50 pm on Tuesday 9 May, GMT). There are no reports of any
casualties
this event, though people have reported feeling the event across much of the northern part of the island.
The approximate location of the 23 April 2017 Guam Earthquake. USGS.
The volcanic Mariana Islands are located on the eastern margin of the
Philippine Plate, close to its margin with the Pacific Plate. The
Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Plate along the
Mariana Trench. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick
together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in
Earthquakes.
Simplified diagram of the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the
Philippine plate, and how this fuels the volcanos of the Mariana
Islands. NOAA Ocean Explorer.
Witness
accounts of quakes can help geologists to understand these events and
the rock structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you
were in the area but did not, which is also useful information) you can
report it to the USGS here.
See also...
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