Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake in Tonga Region

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred in the Tonga region on January 18, 2024, at 10:12:22 local time (22:12:22 UTC) and a depth of 219 km (136 mi). The exact location was -18.92° LAT, -175.42° LON. The epicenter was located 242 km (150 mi) NNW of Nuku‘alofa (pop. 22,400) and 151 km (93.8 mi) WSW of Neiafu (pop. 4,300).

Picture 1: Location of the magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the Tonga region.

The earthquake occurred within a region with INCREASED seismic hazard exposure (yellow alert), which we highlighted on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, available here and as shown in the image below.

Picture 2: Picture from the post (published on January 16) forecasting increased earthquake-triggering in the Tonga region.

The earthquake also occurred on one of the D-waves we highlighted on January 16, 2024, as shown in the image below and here.

Picture 3: Regions exposed to higher earthquake-triggering based on the D-wave, posted on January 16, 2024.

D-waves (D stands for Dangerous) are potentially dangerous tectonic waves due to the elevated seismic activity along these waves, including major seismic event and their contribution to the elevation of tectonic tractions (shear- and dynamic traction) in multiple regions worldwide.

There have been no reports of damage, injuries, or casualties as a result of the earthquake so far. Also, no tsunami warning was issued.

* The exact information about the magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the earthquake might be revised within the next few hours as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other data providers issue their reports.

** The information provided is a product of Quantectum's own system, please tag Quantectum when sharing it. For more detailed information, contact us by email.