Earthquakes in the Northern Mariana Islands — December 2024

6 earthquakes were recorded in the Northern Mariana Islands during December 2024, an average of 0.2 per day.

6 reached magnitude 4 or above and 1 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 267 km.

The month's largest event in the Northern Mariana Islands was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands on 27 December 2024 at 10:43 UTC. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake radiates roughly 951 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is well above the the Northern Mariana Islands monthly average of 3 events over the period we cover — an unusually active month, and down from the 8 recorded the previous month.

33% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 33% intermediate (70–300 km) and 33% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 5 in the magnitude 4 range, 1 in the magnitude 5 range.

Activity peaked on 27 December, when 2 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M5.2 near Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands on 27 December at 402 km; M4.9 near Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands on 03 December at 285 km; M4.7 near Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on 13 December at 65 km.

That is 76% above the 3 events the Northern Mariana Islands averages per month across the 20 months on record.