FOG BLOG WORLD LOG: STRONG 6.2 MAGNITUDE QUAKE HITS ISLAND OF GUADALOUPE!

Strong mag. 6.2 earthquake - Caribbean Sea, 71 km west of Abymes, Guadeloupe, on Friday, Jan 20, 2023 at 7:23 am Guadeloupe was shaken near Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, by an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 only 15 minutes ago, the United States Geological Survey reported.

The quake hit at an intermediate to considerable depth of 165.3 km beneath the epicenter near Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, in the morning on Friday, January 20th, 2023, at 7:23 am local time. The strength of the earthquake may have been tempered by its relative great depth below the surface, which makes it feel weaker in absolute terms. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

Our monitoring service identified a second report from France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS) which listed the quake at magnitude 5.7. Other agencies reporting the same quake include The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) at magnitude 5.8, the citizen-seismograph network of RaspberryShake at magnitude 5.8, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) at magnitude 6.1, and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) at magnitude 6.2.

Generally quakes of this magnitude are recorded by more than one agency and the results can vary, with subsequent reports that come in after the first one often showing more accuracy.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.

Weak shaking might have been felt in Pointe-Noire (pop. 7,700) located 24 km from the epicenter, Basse Terre (pop. 11,500) 40 km away, Baie-Mahault (pop. 30,600) 46 km away, Abymes (pop. 63,100) 55 km away, Saint John (pop. 24,200) 100 km away, Roseau (pop. 16,600) 124 km away, and Basseterre (pop. 12,900) 140 km away.

VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.