Previous Story
‘Earthquakes regularly occur in Marianas’
|
Posted on Feb 06 2019
The islands within the Marianas archipelago are prone to regular earthquakes because it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. In fact, tremors happen almost daily in the Marianas region but they are usually not strong enough to be felt by people, according to Homeland Security Emergency Management Office information officer Nadine Deleon Guerrero.
Over the past week, multiple earthquakes have shaken the Northern Mariana Islands ranging from a 4.0 magnitude temblor to over a 5.0 magnitude quake.
At 10:54am last Jan. 30, a 4.1-magnitude earthquake occurred 67 kilometers south southwest of Pagan. There were no reports of personnel injuries or damages to infrastructure and no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
At 7:16am last Feb. 1, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake occurred 172 kilometers northwest of Farallon de Pajaros. There were no reports of personnel injuries or damage to infrastructure and no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued.
HSEM also reported that at 2:22am last Feb. 2, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred 14.8 north and 92.4 west of Chiapas, Mexico. There were no reports of personnel injuries or damage to infrastructure and no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued.
The Pacific Ring of Fire, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a U-shaped area in the Pacific Ocean basin that is made up of about 452 dormant and active volcanoes. The Pacific Ring of Fire is known for the continuous earthquakes influenced by the numerous active volcanoes in the region.
According to an online source, the volcanic activity in the area is a result of the region being close to numerous tectonic plates that are in constant motion and collision. For this reason, the Pacific Ring of Fire is an active location for volcanoes and earthquakes.
The Marianas, being a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to experience tremors because of the amount of activity in the area.
