More Than a Dozen Earthquakes Rattle the Pacific Ring of Fire in 24 Hours

Thirteen earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or higher struck across eight countries along the Pacific Ring of Fire between Wednesday and Thursday, from Vanuatu to Alaska to South America, in a widespread burst of seismic activity.

Vanuatu and Tonga See Multiple Quakes in the South Pacific

The small island nation of Vanuatu recorded three earthquakes near Isangel. The first struck around 4 a.m. local time Thursday, measuring magnitude 5.2 about 47 miles outside the city. Two more quakes followed within the next three hours, registering magnitude 4.8 and 4.7. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this section of the Australia plate is among the most seismically active regions in the world.

Farther west, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Tonga, with an epicenter about 183 miles west-northwest of Houma. In Alaska, a magnitude 4.2 quake hit near Lake Louise, just outside Denali National Park, around 9 p.m. local time Wednesday. The USGS said more than 230 people reported feeling the shaking, including in Anchorage, roughly 114 miles south of the epicenter.

Central America and South America See a String of Moderate Quakes

Mexico's Puerto Madero area, near the Guatemala border, was struck by three earthquakes within 24 hours: a magnitude 4.3 quake at 3:08 p.m. Wednesday, followed nine hours later by a magnitude 4.4, and then a magnitude 4.5 in the same spot. No tsunami warnings were issued despite all three quakes occurring offshore.

Costa Rica was hit by a magnitude 5.0 earthquake at 2:26 a.m. Thursday, centered about 51 miles south-southeast of San José at a depth of roughly 6 miles. Peru's Alianza Cristiana area recorded two quakes, a magnitude 5.3 at 1:42 a.m. Thursday and a magnitude 4.7 about four hours later, both roughly 79 miles away with similarly shallow depths.

Bolivia's Cliza region was shaken by a magnitude 4.8 quake at 8:05 a.m. Thursday, notable for its depth of about 231 miles. Chile recorded a magnitude 4.3 earthquake around 9:57 p.m. Wednesday, about 53 miles south-southeast of La Tirana at a depth of 76 miles. The USGS notes South America's tectonic arc stretches more than 7,000 kilometers, with frequent, often large interplate earthquakes concentrated at shallow-to-moderate depths.

Minor Activity Also Reported in Hawaii

Two much smaller earthquakes struck near Hawaii's Big Island. A magnitude 2.6 quake hit about 12 miles offshore near Pāhala at 7:23 a.m. Tuesday, followed roughly three hours later by a magnitude 2.5 quake onshore on the Big Island.

What's Next

The cluster of activity spans multiple tectonic boundaries along the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped zone that accounts for a large share of the world's earthquakes and volcanic activity. While none of these quakes have been linked to tsunami warnings or reported damage, seismologists continue monitoring the region given its history of frequent seismic activity.

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