M4.9 Earthquake 9 km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX — May 12, 2024
2024-05-12 18:22:42 UTC (2024-05-12) · approx. 10:22 AM UTC-8 local
Felt by 341 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.0 (strong).
On May 12, 2024 at 18:22 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX, at a depth of 8.5 km and coordinates 32.4247°, -115.2405°. The earthquake was reported felt by 341 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.0 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 39 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 510, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Delta (population 5,698).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 294 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.0 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 341 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 446,185 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,254,677 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 15,177 |
Earthquake Details
-115.2405°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Delta, B.C., MX?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 9 km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX on May 12, 2024 at 18:22 UTC had a depth of 8.5 km. It was felt by 341 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.0 (strong). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.4247°, -115.2405°, which is 9 km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX. The nearest populated place is Delta (population 5,698).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ci40746912). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, May 12, 2024). M4.9 Earthquake 9 km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX — May 12, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ci40746912/