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4.9 quake strikes 70 miles off Saipan
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Posted on May 09 2005
The Mariana Islands experienced another earthquake Sunday night, this time with a magnitude of 4.9.
According to the National Earthquake Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred at 7:46pm two nights ago and was located 14.79 degrees north and 146.67 degrees east, or just 70 miles east-southeast of Saipan, 105 miles east-northeast of Rota, 125 miles south-southeast of Anatahan, and 160 northeast of Hagatna, Guam.
The NEIC indicated that the quake occurred at a depth of 53.9 kms.
The Saipan Tribune contacted EMO regarding the status of buildings on Rota and Saipan but did not receive details as of press time.
Meanwhile, the intensity of volcanic activity on Anatahan has dropped to a fairly low level after surging on May 5, according to the latest joint report by the EMO and the USGS.
As of yesterday, EMO said that thick ash was rising to 10,000 feet and extending 68 to 80 nautical miles west before thinning out over another 70 nautical miles westward.
“A broad swath of vog [volcanic smog] currently extends at least 750 nautical miles west to probably several hundred nautical miles northeast of the island,” EMO and USGS said.
Anatahan remains off limits except for scientific expeditions by the EMO and USGS until further notice.
“Although the volcano is not currently dangerous to most aircraft within the CNMI airspace, conditions may change rapidly, and aircraft should pass upwind of Anatahan or beyond 10 nautical miles downwind from the island and exercise due caution within 10 nautical miles of Anatahan,” EMO and USGS said.
Anatahan first erupted on May 10, 2003. The eruption on April 6 this year was, however, the largest historical eruption of the volcano and expelled roughly 50 million cubic meters of ash that darkened skies over Saipan and Tinian.
