The United States Geological Survey
recorded a Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake at a depth of 180.9 km about 19 km
off the northwest coast of the Pagan Island, a US possession in the
Northern Mariana Islands, slightly after 7.20 pm local time (slightly after 9.20 am GMT) on Thursday 6 June 2019. There
are no reports of any
casualties
this event, though it may have been felt on the island.
The approximate location of the 6 June 2019 Pagan Island 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 volcanoes 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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