M2.4 Earthquake 6 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina — December 30, 2021
2021-12-30 19:11:56 UTC (2021-12-30) · approx. 2:11 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 87 people across nearby locations.
On December 30, 2021 at 19:11 UTC, a magnitude 2.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 6 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina, at a depth of 3.8 km and coordinates 34.1480°, -80.7315°. This earthquake was detected by 11 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 125, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 62.1 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 28 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in South Carolina, a region characterized by the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone near Charleston, site of the destructive 1886 M7.3 earthquake. View all earthquakes in South Carolina.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 87 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
Earthquake Details
-80.7315°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.4 earthquake near Elgin, South Carolina?
The magnitude 2.4 earthquake that struck 6 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina on December 30, 2021 at 19:11 UTC had a depth of 3.8 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 34.1480°, -80.7315°, which is 6 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina. View all earthquakes in South Carolina.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has South Carolina had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in South Carolina was the M7.3 Charleston earthquake of August 31, 1886. Today's magnitude 2.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60141643). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 30, 2021). M2.4 Earthquake 6 km ESE of Elgin, South Carolina — December 30, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60141643/