The quake hit a little after 6 p.m. local time, about 4 a.m. ET, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was about 50 miles southeast of Inarajan, a community of 2,300 people, at a depth of about 6 miles.
The area, about 20 miles south of Guam's capital of Hagåtña, had no reports of damage or injuries, according to emergency dispatchers, said Jenna Gaminde, Guam Homeland Security spokeswoman.
The National Weather Service issued no tsunami watches or warnings. The intensity of the quake is considered moderate: Nearly everyone feels it, but damage is slight.
The tremor came about an hour before a 4.6-magnitude quake was recorded about 15 miles west of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea, almost 1,400 miles to the south. The area, which includes Guam, is in a seismic zone at the edges of the Pacific Ocean dubbed the Ring of Fire because of its volcanoes.
Wednesday's quake near Guam came a little more than a week after the most recently recorded earthquake, a 4.2-magnitude temblor recorded at 12:48 a.m. local time Aug. 21, 10:48 a.m. ET Aug. 20 almost 10 miles northeast of Yigo, where Andersen Air Force Base is located about 15 miles northeast of Hagåtña.
North Korea threatened recently to launch ballistic missiles into waters near Guam. However, leader Kim Jong Un said later that he would watch Washington's conduct before executing the plan.
Source: Pacific Daily News
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter