M3.5 Earthquake 52 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands — December 22, 2020
2020-12-22 17:53:50 UTC (2020-12-22) · approx. 1:53 PM UTC-4 local
On December 22, 2020 at 17:53 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 52 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands, at a depth of 32.0 km and coordinates 18.7681°, -64.5935°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.2 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 170 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Earthquake Details
-64.5935°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands?
The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 52 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands on December 22, 2020 at 17:53 UTC had a depth of 32.0 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 3.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.5 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2020357006). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 22, 2020). M3.5 Earthquake 52 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands — December 22, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2020357006/