The CNMI Emergency Operations Center reports that at 1:49 a.m. on Tuesday a 4.5 magnitude earthquake occurred 4 kilometers southwest of Anatahan, Northern Mariana
Islands. Currently, there were no reports of personnel injuries or damages to infrastructure and no tsunami warnings or advisories were issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Anatahan was lively in 2005
The active volcano on the island has the constant attention of scientists and periodically rewards them by blowing out huge ash plumes and driving local seismic activity.
A team of research scientists from the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University recently visited the volcano. They worked with the Emergency Management Office of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to perform seismic station maintenance. The team observed no unusual volcanic phenomena. Seismic levels remained low, and no anomalies were observed in satellite imagery.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that seismic activity at Anatahan during the first half of 2009 was generally at background levels. In February a brief episode of tremor occurred. A low level plume was observed in satellite images on Jun.13, but there was no evidence that it contained ash. Nothing unusual was observed in satellite images throughout the rest of the week. According to the USGS, Anatahan was quiet as of Nov. 6.
For more information, contact the CNMI EOC State Warning Point at 670-237-8000