On January 10, 2016, at 10:48 UTC, a magnitude (M) 5.0 earthquake erupted near Fiji. The epicenter of this natural event was 593.35 km deep. At the same time, two more tremblers stirred the waters nearby. One was another 5.0M at a depth of 614 km and the other a 4.7M with a depth of 615 km. All in the water, but not far from shore.
The cities closest to the quakes’ epicenter include:
Ndoi Island, Fiji – 29 km ESE
Nuku ` alofa, Tonga – 339 km W
Suva, Fiji – 437 km SE
Lambasa, Fiji – 533 km SSE
Nadi, Fiji – 545 km SE
The coordinates of the trembler were 20.7736S and 178.4452W.
At 17:40 UTC, a 4.9M earthquake was felt in Central Turkey. Its location was 39.58N and 34.36E. The depth at the epicenter of the shaker was 4 km.
The cities impacted include:
Ankara, Turkey – 134 km E
Yozgat, Turkey – 47 km SW
Yerköy, Turkey – 11 km SW
A few reports have been posted on websites. Five earthquakes of various magnitudes and depths have erupted inside a 30-minute timeframe. Furthermore, the coordinates indicate they were all in the same region; less than a few degrees difference from the first eruption. It is unlikely these were aftershocks, but a ripple effect on land from the impact of the four major tectonic plates, Arabia, Eurasia, India, and Africa Plates converging.
Update from the Earthquake Impact Database:
One person is dead after panicking and jumping off his balcony. Brick houses have been damaged and officials are assessing the damage at this time.
By Jeanette Smith
Sources:
USGS: M4.9 – 7km SW of Mecidiye, Turkey
Earthquake Report: Earthquakes in the World on January 10
Top Image Courtesy of Christian Haugen’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Featured Image Courtesy of Vince Smith’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Tre'vell Hill