5 earthquakes recorded near Antigua and Barbuda in less than 24-hours
A series of five earthquakes, including one measuring 5.0 magnitude, struck northeast of Antigua in less than 24-hours, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) reported.
The seismic activity began Friday evening at 5:11 pm with the strongest tremor – a magnitude 5.0 earthquake – recorded approximately 60 kilometers northeast of St John’s. This was followed by four additional quakes ranging from magnitude 3.7 to 4.4, with the most recent occurring at 5:48 am Saturday.
According to the UWI-SRC’s automatic earthquake detection system, all five events occurred within a relatively concentrated area, at depths between 14 and 18 kilometers below the surface. The epicenters were located between 55- and 73-kilometers northeast of St. John’s, Antigua.
The sequence of events was as follows:
- 5:11 pm Friday: Magnitude 5.0
- 6:32 pm Friday: Magnitude 4.0
- 7:11 pm Friday: Magnitude 3.7
- 12:26 am Saturday: Magnitude 3.8
- 5:48 am Saturday: Magnitude 4.4
While the earthquakes were also detected in neighboring islands, including Montserrat and St. Kitts-Nevis, they were located significantly further from these territories – approximately 110-136 kilometers away.
The UWI-SRC noted that these preliminary locations were automatically calculated and may be subject to revision pending evaluation by their analysts.
