A minor seismic event registering a preliminary magnitude of 3.7 struck the northeastern Caribbean region in the early hours of Friday, January 31st. According to automated monitoring systems operated by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, the tremor occurred at 4:46 a.m. local time (08:46 UTC) with an estimated focal depth of 12 kilometers.
The epicenter was precisely geolocated at coordinates 17.58 degrees north latitude and 61.73 degrees west longitude, placing it approximately 53 kilometers north-northeast of St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. The seismic activity was also detected 102 kilometers northeast of Brades, Montserrat, and approximately 115 kilometers east-northeast of Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Initial assessments from regional monitoring authorities indicate no immediate reports of structural damage, injuries, or significant impact on local communities. The Seismic Research Centre emphasized that preliminary magnitude and location data are automatically generated by sophisticated computer algorithms and remain subject to potential revision following comprehensive scientific analysis by their expert seismologists. Such minor tremors are considered common occurrences within the seismically active Caribbean region, where tectonic plate interactions frequently generate detectable but typically harmless seismic activity.