3.5

M3.5 Earthquake 107 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands — January 21, 2021

2021-01-21 23:22:53 UTC (2021-01-21) · approx. 7:22 PM UTC-4 local

MagnitudeM3.5(md)
Time23:22 UTC≈ 7:22 PM UTC-4
Depth39.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates19.311°, -64.944°
Felt byNo felt reports
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On January 21, 2021 at 23:22 UTC, a magnitude 3.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 107 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands, at a depth of 39.0 km and coordinates 19.3110°, -64.9438°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 2.5 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 152 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 19.31°, -64.94°

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.5 md
Depth
39.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
19.3110°N
-64.9438°E

Technical Information

Event ID
pr2021021096
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
186
Stations Used
5
Azimuthal Gap
324.0°
Min Station Distance
1.358°
RMS Residual
0.41 sec
Last Updated
2021-10-27 09:01:18 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.5 earthquake near Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands?

The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that struck 107 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands on January 21, 2021 at 23:22 UTC had a depth of 39.0 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.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.5 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: pr2021021096). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 21, 2021). M3.5 Earthquake 107 km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands — January 21, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/pr2021021096/