M3.7 Earthquake 13 km SSW of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands — December 18, 2020
2020-12-18 22:48:08 UTC (2020-12-18) · approx. 6:48 PM UTC-4 local
On December 18, 2020 at 22:48 UTC, a magnitude 3.7 intermediate depth earthquake struck 13 km SSW of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands, at a depth of 142.0 km and coordinates 18.2181°, -64.8441°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4.8 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 205 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-64.8441°E
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.7 earthquake near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands?
The magnitude 3.7 earthquake that struck 13 km SSW of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on December 18, 2020 at 22:48 UTC had a depth of 142.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.7 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2020353012). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 18, 2020). M3.7 Earthquake 13 km SSW of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands — December 18, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020353012/