M6.5 earthquake - 258 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

What happened

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 258 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on 1 Dec 1938, 02:12 UTC at a depth of 25 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Saipan, about 259 km away in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.