The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) rated a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Vanuatu green, assessing that the quake could have a low humanitarian impact.
GDACS placed the tremor at 12:12 a.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 24 (04:12 UTC), at a depth of 10 kilometers. The system said its estimate takes into account the quake's size, the number of people exposed and their vulnerability. GDACS notes that its data are guidance and should be checked against other information before decisions are made.
The magnitude 5.8 quake occurred about 100 minutes after a separate, larger earthquake in the region. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially estimated the earlier quake at magnitude 7.2 and issued a tsunami threat message. PTWC later revised its estimate to magnitude 6.9 and said the danger had ended; EconoTimes covered that change in its report on the threat's end.
GDACS describes its role as helping disaster managers exchange information and coordinate during the early phase of major emergencies.
